"Vampires are the flickering illusions of Hollywood. They don't exist. We do. We are the Athanate."

This week's featured author is Mark Henwick, author of the Bite Back series: contemporary urban fantasy featuring a kick-ass heroine with plenty of heart (my favorite kind!). Amber Farrell is former special forces turned P.I.--and turning Athanate. If you like bloodsuckers, werewolves, lots of action, and snarky humor, I highly recommend Mark's books.

To start you off, Mark is offering a free copy of Sleight of Hand to one of my readers! (Print or ebook, you lucky devils!) Not only that, but if you've read Sleight of Hand, Mark will happily substitute a copy of Hidden Trump, the second book in the series, or the upcoming third book, Wild Card (publication date TBD). So there's no excuse not to enter! (Scroll down for entry form.)

Thanks for coming by, Mark! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m married with three children, the youngest of whom is sixteen. My wife is Singaporean Chinese and I’m from Africa, so one of the funniest things that has ever been said about us is that we’re a normal family. We live in England.

I grew up wanting to be a cowboy, then a  soldier or a fighter pilot. I did always think I would be a writer, but was persuaded that engineers find paying bills easier. I ended up spending more time in management than I really wanted to, and so now I am, finally, a full-time writer.

What are three of your favorite things? Three of your least favorite things?

Traditionally, a loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou. And I do enjoy eating, drinking and the company of friends. Travel. Reading (of course). Music, film and theatre. Less traditionally: skiing, mountain biking, motorcycling and flying. I can’t possibly pick just three things.

My least favorite three things - hypocrisy, opinionated ignorance, and Bert Smith from class 5 at school, who exemplified the other two. Truthfully, there are a raft of things that irritate me and my three least favorite will generally be based on whatever has bugged me most recently when I’m asked. Ask me after I’ve just done my tax returns…

When did you start writing? What inspired you to start writing your own stories?

When? About the same time I first picked up a pen. "The Mystery of the Black Dagger" was a timeless, handwritten masterpiece of 3.75 pages (including the illustration). It was a genuine mystery, in that no one knew what happened, not even me.

My mother wrote, and I loved to tell tales. Still do. I got serious about it when I was presented with one of those life choices, and realised I didn’t want to keep working in healthcare and commuting to London, as much as I wanted to do something completely different.

What is the Bite Back series about? How did you get the idea for the books?

On the surface, the series is about real vampires, werewolves and witches. By that I mean the beings that have given rise to all the contradictory myths, books and Hollywood portrayals. The Athanate need human blood, but little else about ‘vampires’ is correct. They certainly don’t sparkle. The Were change shape and the Adepts do magic, but to see how different they are, you need to read the series.

Beneath the surface, all readable novels are about the human condition. I’m trying to say something about being different and how a positive attitude will help overcome what life throws at you. Honor, duty, love, betrayal, and lots of things.

The ideas came from frustration about how often Urban Fantasy writers just sweep things under the carpet saying, that’s just the way it is, it’s magic. Even reading UF, we live in a rational age, we want to know why things work like that. I started to think, well how would it work? Everything came from that really.

What drew you do urban fantasy as a genre? Why do you think it appeals to readers?

Urban Fantasy doesn’t really exist, according to bookstores and, until recently, Amazon. It’s untidy. It doesn’t fit in the neat, little boxes. It breaks rules. Even its rules are (putting on my best Pirates of the Caribbean voice) more in the way of guidelines. It allows you to play with ‘what ifs.’ Who couldn’t love a genre like that?

One of the reasons you chose to self-publish is that the traditional publishing world felt that vampires were “over”—that readers were no longer interested in vampire books. However, your books have been quite successful, proving that’s not the case.  What gave you the confidence to pursue publication despite all the naysayers? What do you think are some factors that have contributed to your books’ success?

The script was rejected by every agent I sent it to. So I published it on Amazon. What did I have to lose? It wasn’t that I really needed confidence to make that move, but regardless, I was confident about the book and the series. I didn’t believe the feedback that the UF vampire genre was over; all I had to do to was look at Amazon’s ratings. Having said that, I didn’t think it would do as well as it has.

As to factors in the success, I could write a lot about this.

As an unknown, first book author, I had to pitch the price low, I had to invest money on doing a cover that stood out and I sought help with the cover copy. Those are the things that first catch a potential buyer’s eye.

Then the book needed to deliver. There are a lot of UF books out there. I had a different spin on the paranormal, but I also fed in complexity and depth. I’ve been told I would have lost about 20%-30% of the book if I’d gone through a publishing house. Sure, it would have been tauter, maybe easier to read, but feedback shows the readers have enjoyed the depth and complexity.

Lots of other things like timing helped, especially for the second book, but I’m rambling. Last two points…

Firstly, don’t expect random blogger/reviewers to be much help if your book is in any way different. Planning publicity needs a whole article by itself. Those bloggers that liked the sound of the book and came to me have been fantastic. I love them. Those that I approached either haven’t delivered or didn’t ‘get it.’

Secondly, and this last point is really, really important. I invested in a damn good editor. Same person who polished that cover copy :-) Stop blushing, Lauren. (Lauren says: I am blushing. But thanks!)

What’s the hardest part of writing a book/being an author? What’s the most fun part?

The hardest part is keeping confident while you’re writing. I start and end with confidence, but there’s a deep, dark passage in the middle of writing a book, which may or may not be the middle of the book.

The fun parts are the good reviews and good feedback. I cannot do justice to the feeling of reading someone saying ‘awesome book’ on Amazon or Goodreads.

Is there a book or a story that has had a profound impact on you at any time in your life? What was it, and how did it impact you?

Hugely difficult choice, but I’ll go for Dune, by Frank Herbert. Why? Because it stopped me in my tracks and made me aware that carefully constructed worlds can suspend your disbelief effortlessly throughout an epic, and layering secondary characters adds to the immersive experience. I could say the same for Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, which I read at roughly the same time.

Besides Amber, your main character, do you have a favorite character you’ve created? Which character is it, and why?

Bian. She’s wonderfully outrageous. The other characters I had to think through and construct, but Bian just emerged, in an instant, while I was sitting on a train in Denver.

What are the hardest types of scenes for you to write?

I have trouble with conflict between friends.

Do you have a writing routine? Can you tell us about it?

The actual writing gets started early in the morning, and the best is done if I write before I look at the internet. Then I write in bursts throughout the day. By evening, I’m much more likely to be doing editing.

Ideas for plots come best as I wake up and need to be scribbled down. Implementing them in plot structures is best done in the morning.

I work at least a little every day.

What are some of your favorite words? (Syllabub? Xylophone? Whizbang? Taradiddle?)

Words that you don’t use often, but you know just what they mean from the sound they make in your mouth. Lascivious. Quintessential. Flagrant.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I fit in some time on my bike most days. I fly a microlight. I love travel.

What’s something people wouldn’t be able to guess about you just by looking at you?

I used to have a full head of hair.

If you had a genie that could grant wishes, what would you wish for?

I’ve read Aladdin’s Samovar; I know this ends badly. I don’t want immortality, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to be in peak physical and mental condition for all of your life?

I know you have several projects that you plan to publish this year. Can you give us some tantalizing hints about them?

Raw Deal is due in May. This is a free prequel novella. Raw Deal covers the time Amber spends in the Denver police force, and shows her in transition between her old army persona and the Amber we meet in Sleight of Hand.

Wild Card is due in August. This is Book 3 in the series, and it’s time to find out what make the Were tick, and which one of them is running out of control in Denver and threatening the whole paranormal community.

Bian’s Tale, Book 1, Saigon, is due in the fall. Bian has been so popular and has such a story behind her, I decided I wanted a companion series rather than doling bits out in the main books. It’s a much more challenging writing project because I have to blend Bian’s nine-year-old, Vietnamese voice with her mature American-influenced voice. There’s a taster on the blog:

http://henwick.wordpress.com/2013/01/26/bians-tale-part-1-saigon/

I expect to publish Bite Back Book 4 in December.

How can readers get more information about you and your work?

Blog : www.athanate.com
Facebook : www.facebook.com/TheBiteBackSeries

There’s a contact form on the blog and I answer posts and emails.


  Win a copy of Sleight of Hand! Enter below.

P.S. If you've already read Sleight of Hand, Mark has offered to substitute a copy of Book 2 in the series, Hidden Trump, or Book 3, Wild Card (when it's published--publication date TBD). Cool, huh?

Welcome, Mikko! Great to have you here. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m 45 years old, the parent of four boys, and have the attention span of a gnat. Although I consider myself reasonably intelligent, I’ve never been able to sit still at one thing for very long. I’ve never held a job, lived in one location or had the same friends for an extended period of time, so actually completing a novel was a huge accomplishment for me.

What are three of your favorite things? Three of your least favorite things?

I absolutely love reading; it’s the only thing that will keep me sitting still. I love the creation process of writing, as would be expected. The thing that excites me the most in my life is the chance for a new adventure – throw something new and challenging at me and I’m thrilled. Last year I took up SCUBA diving. This year I’m trying my hand at 5k obstacle courses. My least favorite things include TV, being forced to sit still (like when I’ve inadvertently injured myself on one of my “adventures”) and technology. I’m not savvy enough to fix a computer if it doesn’t behave…I just want to push a button and have it work, otherwise I’m at a loss (and not very pleasant to be around!).

When did you start writing? What inspired you to start writing your own stories?
 
My love of books began early, at age 7, with The Boxcar Children. I wrote my first “story” that I published with yellow construction paper and bound with red yarn that same year. I’ve been dabbling in story writing ever since, but never really put it all together until recently.

What are some of your favorite words? (Syllabub? Xylophone? Whizbang? Taradiddle?)

I love names, especially names that flow. I love the “L” and “S” sounds, so many of my names will have those sounds. Laurelei, Lania, Cybelle, Askari, etc.

Tell us a little about Askari and the Child of Muralia series. What is it about? How did you get the inspiration for the first book?

When my oldest son became a teenager and we’d already gone through all the Harry Potter books, we were struggling to find literature that would appeal to him without going to the adult section of the bookstore. I had read Eragon and was inspired. I knew I had to create something that teen boys would find interesting: fast-paced action, high stakes, triumph against impossible odds and a character that they could identify with. Askari is the story of a young boy who is filled with contradictions. He is at that crossroads where he’s almost a man and has to make the hard decisions that will define him for the rest of his life. Askari is about how he navigates his way through those early choices and mistakes and how he reconciles himself. He has to grow up a lot on his journey and he doesn’t always do what he should. Because Askari is the first book of a trilogy, the final outcome won’t be revealed until the third book, Shaeli, is completed.

If your writing could have an impact on the lives of your readers (besides entertainment), how would you hope it would impact them?

There are many subtle themes throughout Askari and one of them is about honoring the greatness inside of each of us. I hope that readers can recognize that no matter what race or creed they hail from, there is greatness in all of us that should be recognized and valued. This is especially true for honoring the greatness inside of ourselves, something that we are not taught to do as a society.

Is there a book or a story that has had a profound impact on you at any time in your life? What was it, and how did it impact you?

There are many, from Robin Hood to King Arthur to Peter Pan. However, the stories that had the greatest impact on me were the Arabian Nights and Sinbad the Sailor. I loved the daring adventures and the narrow escapes. Those stories always kept me riveted to the pages.

Why do you choose to write fantasy/adventure stories? Why do you think those types of stories appeal to readers?

For me, fantasy is what I know. It’s what I’ve always read and loved the most. Reading is and always has been an escape for me, so fantasy is the one genre that made the most sense. I try not to take my writing too seriously because, after all, it is fiction that has the sole purpose of giving others an opportunity to escape into a new realm for the pure enjoyment of the adventure.

You’ve created such a complete world, with so many races, creatures, and unusual customs. How do you come up with your ideas? Did you spend a lot of time creating the world before you started writing, or did it emerge as the book developed?

Most of my ideas come from two sources – National Geographic magazine, and travel food shows like Bizarre Foods and No Reservations. I love learning about other cultures and places on our planet and it isn’t a big stretch for much of it to reach the fantastic. I spent the first several years just creating the world – the geography, flora and fauna, then peoples, cultures, social structures, creation mythologies, etc. It wasn’t until the world was largely developed that I truly began with the plot of the story. Things shifted and changed as the storyline required it, but the world was complete first.

Other than your main character, Cedron, do you have a favorite character you’ve created? Which character is it, and why?

I love the minor character of Sarohra the gem cutter. She is a tribute to my favorite Marine Corps drill instructor SSgt. Rohr. Her twinkling brown eyes and sense of humor have stayed with me for decades and I wanted to honor her with a character who could provide support to my main character in her own small way, as the real woman did for me.

What are the hardest types of scenes for you to write?

Romantic scenes are so difficult for me to write that I have almost completely excluded them from my work. There’s enough paranormal romance out there, so I’m not compelled to try it. I also struggle with finding evil things. I’ve had to do a lot of research in my old Dungeons and Dragons monster manuals to come up with obstacles for my heroes to battle. Considering how much trouble I have with it, I think I’ve done really well with my antagonist!

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I’m working as a substitute teacher at local schools. I teach K-8 any subject and it has kept me busy! Otherwise, I have two small boys still at home that I spend much of my time with, and a house full of four-legged creatures that keep me hopping!

What’s something people wouldn’t be able to guess about you just by looking at you?

Most people are surprised to learn that I was in the Marine Corps. I am proud of my service and am grateful for the sense of purpose and accomplishment that it gave me. I support our troops of every branch regardless of which political party has control of our country.

If you had a genie that could grant three wishes, what would you wish for?

Coming from you, that’s a dangerous question to try and answer! I wish my children could see themselves as I see them; I wish that I had more time to do all the things I want to do; and I wish that Babylon wasn’t a war zone because I’ve always wanted to visit there but don’t dare take my family.

What can we expect from you in the future?

Askari is my international award-winning debut novel and is currently being considered by Scholastic. That would open up huge opportunities for me. The sequel, Yezman, will be completed later this year (2013) with the final book, Shaeli, to be published in 2014. Muralia is a big part of my life now and I have a myriad of stories that take place within its borders running through my head!

How can readers get more information about you and your work?

Readers can follow my journey at my blog: www.mikkoazul.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mikkoazul

Askari, Child of Muralia Book I is available as hardcover, softcover, Nook and Kindle on Amazon.com here or Barnes & Noble.com here. 

Enter below for a chance to win a copy of Askari!

Hi, Lynda! Thanks for stopping by. For a start, can you tell us a little about yourself? 

I never know how to answer this question without sounding terribly boring. I work as a psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, professional tarot reader, workshop presenter, instructor, singer and paranormal fiction author. Outside of that, I’m the single mom of a grown son who lives with his two furry children in a nearby town (I’m in Boulder, CO). I spend my free time reading, walking, attending conferences and other writing events and eating out with friends. See? Yawn city.

Your series is about a vampire psychologist, Kismet Knight. What inspired that idea?

The idea for the Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist series came from a client session in my psychotherapy office. I was listening to a young woman talk about how she wanted to join a non-human group, and her words began to remind me of some of the paranormal romance novels I’d read. I started to wonder what it would be like to find a gorgeous vampire sitting in my waiting room, so I ran home and started typing. I’m still waiting for him to show up.

Can you tell us about your most recent book?

The most recently released book in the series is a brand new book #2: BLOOD THERAPY. It continues Kismet's story, as she finds herself up to her neck in actual vampires. Rewritten book #3 (which used to be old book #2) is CRIMSON PSYCHE and it will be released in the UK in the fall of 2013. I’m not sure about the release date for the USA version. I expect Kismet to have lots more adventures.

What’s the hardest part of writing a book/being an author? What’s the most fun part?

The hardest part of any writing for me is the doing of it: making myself keep my butt in the chair. I’ve never been disciplined about that! Another challenging part is dealing with all the potholes on the road to publication. The most fun part of writing a book is typing the words, “the end.” What I like most about being an author is hanging out with other authors at book signings or conferences. I get to feel special!

What attracted you to paranormal fiction? Why do you think vampires and other paranormal creatures are so appealing to readers?

I love paranormal fiction and nonfiction. Since I deal with human problems on a daily basis, I need the escape of focusing on the supernatural/occult. There are only so many human soap operas I can deal with! I think most paranormal readers want to step outside their regular lives and dream about/imagine non-ordinary worlds. Especially paranormal romance fans. They yearn for more in their lives. Who wouldn’t want to be desired by a gorgeous immortal?

Your series has had a somewhat unusual publishing history: the first two books were published by a small press, and you were successful enough that it was picked up by your current publisher, who asked you to rework the books for subsequent editions. What has that experience been like for you?

I can honestly say that I’ve made every mistake a new author can make. Back when I first wrote THE VAMPIRE SHRINK, publishing was still in the “only one path to success” mindset. I’d gotten so much positive feedback right out of the gate, that I was sure I was on my way to fame and fortune. But, no. Due to extreme “newbie” insecurity, I jumped into decisions faster than I should have (ah, the joys of hindsight). After selling two books to the small publisher (against my agent’s wishes), that pub and I came to a parting of the ways due to a difference in visions for the books. They wanted the series to be paranormal romance. I didn’t. I’m a blended-genre fan. The agent and I also said good-bye, so I tried to find a new publisher to pick up my series. At that time, they still said things like “you can’t move a series from one house to another.” Good thing that’s proven to be untrue. But I’d hit a wall. No options on the horizon. Or so I thought.

Thanks to the advice of successful author/self-pubbing guru J.A. Konrath, in March 2010 I was able to upload the e-book versions of my 2 novels (plus several shorter things I’d written and sold to epubs) onto Amazon and all the other e-book outlets. Within a couple of months, my novels were best sellers. I couldn’t believe it! That best seller status drew the attention of a new agent who said he could get me a new deal for the series. And he did. I signed a 3-book deal with UK publisher Quercus Books/Jo Fletcher Books, partnered with Sterling Publishing USA (Barnes & Noble). The experience has been very, very stressful (don’t try this at home, kids). Luckily there are more options for authors now.

Do you use an outline? Or just write the first draft “as it comes to you?” What other prewriting/story planning activities do you do, if any?

I’m a pantser. But I’d love to scoot in the direction of plotting. Never knowing what’s going to happen isn’t only stressful – it’s time consuming.

Do you have a favorite character you’ve created (besides your two main series characters)? Which character is it, and why?

I like the guitar-playing, kick-ass female character in UNDEAD IN THE CITY. She’s wounded but courageous. Despite horrible odds against her, she’s working toward her dream. She doesn’t take any crappola – a trait I need to copy.

Is there a book or a story that has had a profound impact on you at any time in your life? What was it, and how did it impact you?

Bram Stoker’s DRACULA was highly influential. I’d never considered it possible for a monster to have human traits before that book. And when the 1980 version of the movie (major sensuality/sexuality) came out with Frank Langella, my ideas about vampires took an erotic detour. In my personal life, I remember watching the movie DANCES WITH WOLVES so many times I’m embarrassed to say the number. The metaphor of life transformation (he surrendered to his death, then was reborn) spoke to me and was the most meaningful time period I remember.

What are some of your favorite words? (Syllabub? Xylophone? Whizbang? Taradiddle?)

LOL. They’re all swear words. Something about them makes me laugh.

What are the hardest types of scenes for you to write? The easiest?

I find writing action scenes to be difficult, but sex scenes (I guess those are action, too!) are a close second. The easiest scenes for me are dialogue/conversations.

What’s something people wouldn’t be able to guess about you just by looking at you?

Despite my love of the spotlight, I’m an introvert. Being in large groups of people makes me run, screaming. If I have a clear role (presenter, performer, teacher, reader, counselor, etc.) I’m great. If I’m just one of the crowd, I panic. I’ve spent more conferences in my hotel room than I care to remember. Strange but true.

What can we expect from you in the future?

More money-making activities! LOL

How can readers get more information about you and your work?

Thank you for asking!

Website: http://www.lyndahilburnauthor.com
Author Blog: http://paranormalityuniverse.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LyndaHilburnAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lyndahilburn
Counseling: http://soulworkscounseling.blogspot.com
Tarot: http://tarotbylynda.blogspot.com

You can find all Lynda's books at Amazon.com, or through her website and other online retailers like Barnes & Noble.

Also, just for you all, Lynda has offered to give away a free print copy of Blood Therapy. Enter below!
(Note: Due to potential postal/shipping issues, we reserve the right to offer a substitute prize (such as an ebook) if the winner resides outside the U.S.)

Mmm, chocolate...

No, wait. I'm not talking about the kind of Easter eggs the bunny brings you. Easter eggs are hidden messages or surprises in media like software programs, DVDs, movies and TV shows. (And now novels.) It's usually something inessential to the main content, but that has personal meaning to the creator, and is in there just for fun.

I put a few Easter eggs into Aladdin’s Samovar—obscure references that were shout outs to old friends, and that I thought might amuse them. So, since it’s Easter time, I thought I’d let you in on some of them and what they mean:

Swamp Ralph – During my misspent youth, one of my friends had an old beater of a car—a light blue sedan that was nicknamed Swamp Ralph. Presumably because of the swamp of empty beer cans and things better left  unexamined that lurked on the floor in front of the back seat.

When it became clear that Indigo’s hippie van needed a name, I decided to name it in honor of Swamp Ralph, in whose murky depths so much great partying took place. A long time ago. I don’t do that stuff now. Really.

Evil Puppets, Nausea and the Farscape Theme – You know how, when you finish playing a DVD, it returns to the main menu? And sometimes it plays the theme music over and over and over until you make it stop? That happened to me one day in grad school when I was home sick with a stomach virus and watching my friend Nikki’s Farscape DVDs.

(Farscape is a great sci fi TV show with very weird theme music that sounds like out-of-control cannibals. And Henson puppet characters that are not your childhood Muppets.)

So, being sick, I kept falling asleep and the episode would play through and go back to the main menu and the ensuing cannibal theme music, and I would dream about cannibals and wake up to my delightful feeling of nausea. It was ages before I could listen to the Farscape theme without feeling queasy. Now Amber has a fear of puppet cannibals, and it’s all Nikki’s fault. And she knows it. Heh.

Popcorn with Butter, Salt and Parmesan – That was a shout out to my college roommate Mary, who introduced me to this excellent way of eating popcorn. Back in the days when nobody knew what a microwave was. Hot air popper, baby. All the way.

Bouncing Polycarbonate Flasks – I once worked in a plastic bottle manufacturing plant that was eerily similar to Tri-Co, where Amber works. One of our experimental projects was producing clear polycarbonate Erlenmeyer flasks, which are flat-bottomed laboratory flasks that taper towards the top. (Like this.) Our quality control manager discovered that if he tossed the polycarbonate flask to the concrete floor and hit the rounded bottom edge just right, it would boomerang back into his hand. So there you’d be, having a conversation with the guy, and the whole time it’s bounce, catch. Bounce, catch. Fun for all ages. I may be the only person in the world who still remembers him doing that, but the memory is now immortalized in my novel, preserved for eternity.

That’s it for this Easter. I can’t give away all my secrets…