Month: October 2024

Conversations

In conversation with… Kieran Fanning

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Discussing His Work To Date And Life As A Children/YA Writer

Kieran Fanning’s Latest Book ‘Haunted Ireland’. Gill Books, 2024.

Hi Kieran, nice to have you on board! We had the pleasure to review ‘The Arrival’ a while ago and our team was very impressed with it, but that’s not your only book nor the latest. Can you tell us something about your previous work?

My first four books were a series of interactive puzzle adventures for kids, in which the reader had to help junior detectives, Sam and Lisa, solve a mystery by working out the answers to puzzles. These answers directed the reader to the next page of the story. These books were very much inspired by the Choose Your Own Adventure books and game-books I read as a child.
My next book is called The Black Lotus, a time travel adventure about kids with superpowers who train as ninjas to defeat a powerful samurai overlord. The book was turned into an audiobook and also translated into German.
Irish Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends comes next. It is a collection of retellings of old Irish folk and fairy tales.
My most recent book is called The Arrival. It is a supernatural adventure for older children and young teens about the discovery of a mysterious artefact that leads to the arrival of an unusual child. Has he been sent from God? Is he an alien? Or is he something else?

Let’s talk about your latest book, ‘Haunted Ireland’. What’s the book about and what are its USPs?

The book is a collection of retellings of Irish ghost stories, beautifully illustrated by Mark Hill. It’s USP is that there is a story from every county in Ireland. The book even has a map so that you can do your own road trip of haunted Ireland.

When did you start writing and how did you realise young adults were your ideal audience?

I started writing 25 years ago because I’d loved writing as a kid. I still have two books that I wrote as a child. Why do I write for children? Maybe it’s because I never really grew up, or maybe it’s because I love the magic of children’s literature. You can do crazy things in this genre that you can’t in many others. The children’s and teen market are my main focus and I’ve no plans to expand into other areas at the moment.

What are your creative plans for the future? 

I just want to keep writing, keep telling stories and hopefully, keep publishing.

Tell us a little about yourself… do you have any formal qualifications in the creative industries or did you polish your skill mostly through practice and peer review?

I have a master’s in children’s literature but that is of an academic nature. I don’t have any formal qualifications in creative writing. I guess I learned the craft through practice, and as you say, from receiving critiques from my peers. It’s a long process, but probably the best route, in my opinion.

What are your thoughts on the current writing industry? With the “self-publishing revolution” a lot of people started publishing independently, but along with some hidden gems we find there is also poor quality work out there. What is your opinion and why did you choose self-publishing?

Until recently, traditional publishers have been the gatekeepers to publishing but with the accessibility of self-publishing, now there are no barriers to publication. This is both a good and a bad thing. It’s good, in that writers get to decide what gets published. It’s bad in that now, any old thing can be published. And there is a lot of trash out there, which gives self-publishing a bad name. On the other hand, there’s a lot of great stuff out there, too. The problem is finding it in this hugely crowded market. 

Based on your experience as a writer, what do you think of the following: traditional publishing or self-publishing?

I have enjoyed my foray into the self-publishing world, savouring the freedom to publish a story that doesn’t fit into the marketing parameters of traditional publishing houses, enjoying designing my own cover etc. The problem I have found is sales. You have to devote so much time and money to advertising and promotion, that it is difficult to sell unless you already have a following. When I see how well the publishers of my current book have marketed it, getting it into every bookstore in the country and getting me radio and newspaper interviews, my preference will always be traditional publishing.

Being a writer also means being a reader. What are you reading currently? And what book you couldn’t finish no matter what?

My current read is an excellent children’s book called The Last Boy by Eve McDonnell and Fairy Tale by Stephen King. I try to finish most books I start but I remember giving up on Catch 22 and Dune but when a book doesn’t appeal to me, I often think it’s more to do with me than the book. Sometimes I’m not in the right frame of mind for a particular book. I find that I enjoy books more when I’m on holidays because I can devote the time to appreciate them.

Do you have a favourite author?

I have many. In terms of children’s books, I love Philip Pullman, Patrick Ness, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Robert Cormier and Sinéad O’ Hart. My favourite writers for adults are all mainly Irish: William Trevor, Donal Ryan, Joseph O’ Connor and Emma Donoghue. Recently, I loved Kala by Colin Walsh and The Bee Sting by Paul Murray.

If you could choose only 3 books to take with you on a desert island, what would they be and why? 

Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is the most imaginative, absorbing and clever fantasy; you could lose yourself in it for days. Room by Emma Donoghue captures the voice of a child so well that I think it is a masterpiece. The third book I’d bring would be a large empty notebook, because I am a writer after all, and I bet that island has some stories! 

How does your “typical” writing day look like (if you have one, that is)?

My typical writing day begins in the early hours of the morning, often 4am or 5am, when I will write until I have to go to work as a teacher. I often do a little editing in the evenings. I’m pretty happy with this way of working, so I guess it is ideal for me.

Any final words of advice?

Thank you for interviewing me and supporting my work. Keep reading, keep writing, keep publishing and persevere through the rejections. Make art and be happy.

For more information on Kieran’s work to date, visit his website and Amazon Page. You can also follow him on Twitter or Instagram.

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The Redhead & The Fountain Pen

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Discover Ivan Scott’s New Book, Coming Out Tomorrow!

To mark the imminent release of Ivan’s sixth book, we asked him a few questions…

The Redhead & The Fountain Pen. Ivan Scott Books, 2024.

About: After having to leave his dream job and the softball team he loves, Mark Dawson moves from Atlanta to the mountains of north Georgia to escape his past. When he visits a used bookstore and finds a letter in a copy of his favorite book, The Great Gatsby, he finds a kindred spirit. The only thing he knows about the woman is her name is Catherine, she lives in Manhattan, and has a broken heart. Since neither are on social media, the only thing they know about each other comes from their words written in letters by a fountain pen. Eventually, Mark’s feelings get the better of him, and he searches for Catherine. What will happen when they finally come face to face? Will their love be signed, sealed and delivered? Or will it be three strikes for love?

Our Editor’s Thoughts… “This is Scotts’s best work yet, as he’s come in leaps and bounds in the space of a few years. I loved his choice of the “epistolary novel” format, which helps the story flow effortlessly. His writing is on point – consistently improving with each book he publishes – as is the plot. A very pleasant read indeed, I highly recommend it.“

… AND NOW A WORD FROM IVAN SCOTT HIMSELF

In ‘The Redhead & the Fountain Pen’, you explore a new format , i. e. the epistolary novel. How did you come up with the idea and did you find it more challenging to write?

I was looking at social media and what it involves as far as time and who we are. It caused me to think about the 90’s when I began speaking to a girl on the phone. I was calling for her sister, and we ended up speaking for over an hour, just having fun and enjoying each other’s company. I had no idea what she looked like or who she was, but she was enchanting and after a while it didn’t matter what she looked like since we had a connection. We ended up meeting and dated for a while until she moved away, but it was an experience I never forgot.
When I think about today and how we see and read everything about someone online, it made me wonder what it was like decades ago when people wrote letters, and fell in love with their words on paper. The handwriting, the splash of ink and the crispness of the paper, knowing that person took time to reach out to you, is lost in today’s electronic age. 
I wrote the novel in first person, so the reader experiences what anyone would feel when they had no idea who they were connecting with, but felt a pull into the unknown. We all have experienced what it feels like to have that attraction to someone, and how it escalates when there is mystery and not knowing what will come next. It’s like an allure in hyperdrive, and the more you don’t know, the more you can’t resist solving the mystery knowing when you do, you’ll be in love.
I don’t know if it was more difficult to write, but I felt a stronger connection to the story since I felt like I was writing my thoughts and experiences in a journal, instead of typing it into a laptop.

Were there any themes or messages you consciously set out to explore for this particular book?

I think for this book, I like the theme of getting to know someone before giving your heart away. These days, there is little mystery as to who you are dating, or have an attraction for. When you learn the little things over time, I think it builds the foundation that will allow romance to grow. I believe that to love someone, you have to like them first. You have to want to be their friend. One day, looks, romantic music, physical love and all the other things we feel when we fall in love fade, and there better be something there to take its place when it does. If you have that foundation, then love can be built on it, and be strong forever.
The other theme which I wanted to give the reader is that we all have dreams. In the real world, those dreams don’t come around every day, and for some, they toss them aside when the going gets too tough, or it looks like the work is too hard to put in. But for Mark and Catherine, they face incredible odds, both in their careers and in finding each other, but through perseverance, courage, hard work and knowing someone believes in you, they realize there is nothing that can’t be overcome. Those are things we all should have in our lives, especially when going after the things that are important to us.

Any behind-the-scenes anecdotes or interesting facts around the creation of the book you’d like to share?

The idea from this book came after I was at a symphony event here in Atlanta. I know this might be difficult to imagine, but the Viola player was a redhead (Shocker! haha) and it got me thinking about how beautiful the woman was, but it wasn’t so much her physical appearance, although she was stunning. It was seeing her and listening to the song she played, Claire DeLune, which is a beautiful song anyway, and what the sight did to me. I was enchanted, not with the woman, but with the way the music made me feel. I was in love, not with her, but with the moment. I wondered what it would be like to write a story where the characters never see each other, or talk, or hold hands, or anything like that. They fell in love with something each of them gave to the other. An intangible gift of romance that money can’t buy, or can’t be seen on social media.

This is book number six for you. How do you come up with fresh ideas for new characters and what’s your approach to character development?

Great question! I think there are examples of life and love in every minute of our lives. It’s up to us to capture them so they live on forever. That’s what I wake up for every day is to find a slice of time and write about it so it will live forever.
I think with any character, they have to change as the book moves forward, or they grow stale. In this book, Mark is hurt by the reality of the world and how it can trample you. But he still believes in the underdog, and even though he is unsure of his new surroundings, what lies in his heart and his instincts for life can never be silenced. He changes a lot by the time the story ends, and it’s in that growth he finds what he is meant to have. It’s a life lesson for all of us to never stop learning or growing, since there are great glories for everyone as long as we take the opportunity to find them.
I’m sure we all encounter people and situations that would make for a great story, so I use what I see. It’s funny but I needed a villain for the WIP I have now, I thought about someone who was a jerk to me years ago, but I never forgot him or his rudeness so he will make an appearance in my book and will meet his demise! Trust me, slapping down someone who was a jerk is so satisfying! And on the flipside, I will bring in people who have been kind to me, or have made an impact in my life, or a wonderful moment they have provided so their deeds will live on forever in my books.
In the end, life is a humongous painter’s pallet of color, sound and experiences, so I have a canvas with which to paint my world, and hopefully bring that color and feeling of life to the reader.

Your books are often centred on a “quest” of sorts, be it for something or someone that is lost, or an objective the characters aim to achieve. As an author, would you say you are a “seeker” or do you feel like you have achieved what you have set out to? 

For all of us, we are always on a quest for something. A new career. A new relationship. Take a class on playing the piano. Something to better ourselves. For me, it’s looking in the mirror and thinking that the person looking back at me is the only one I need to be better than. But that also means I have to be better than I was yesterday since I have an obligation to the reader and to the world to create a story that will resonate within them forever.
I am a seeker. It’s like they say about golf. It’s a game that can never be won, only played. For me, writing is the same thing. It can never be won, but it is something that should improve the more you do it and keep the writer on a lifelong quest to never be satisfied with their previous work. How do I get better with the next book?
I don’t know if I achieved what I set out to do yet. That’s a tough question. I feel that being creative, there is no goal. No finish line. There is only a new race to run with every new book that is created, and after the last one has been read. If I ever thought I achieved what I set out to do, then that would be it for me since there would be no more mountains to climb. No more adversity. No more wondering if I am good enough. It’s in the journey where I find my courage, and obligation to the world to produce something that will inspire them to find their greatness. And if that happens, then I have done my job. But that only lasts so long since there is always another story waiting to be written that hopefully will inspire someone else.

For more information about Ivan Scott’s work, visit his website: https://ivanscottbooks.com

You can also follow Ivan on the following social media: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Alternatively, visit his author pages on Amazon and Goodreads.

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#AuthorsSupportingAuthors: Backing Ellie Jay’s ‘Secrets Series’ Special Edition Kickstarter Campaign

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The Secrets Series. Ellie Jay Writes, 2021-2022.

Ellie Jay is a UK based author and has been a one-woman publisher for four years. Her ‘Secrets’ Series, an action-packed thriller trilogy has been self-published in 2021-2022, garnering considerable audience attention and a loyal following as a consequence.

She was also one of the first authors reaching out to us when we started Not for Vanity in July 2022, and we had the pleasure to read and review her work (see our ‘Secrets of the Volkovs’ review here). 

You might be wondering: why bringing this up today? Well, three years on and four books later, Ellie is now fundraising to create a special edition of ‘The Secrets Series’ and has recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to help her achieve her goal.

As we decided to back her in her endeavour, we thought you might be interested in doing it too. Below is a snapshot of Ellie Jay’s project.

Firstly, what this special edition will look like… besides the three original books, it will include bonus content such as short stories, character art, illustrations and a foreword delving into how the series came to be.

This is what Ellie plans to do with the funds raised…

  1. Buying her own ISBNs
  2. Partnering with IngramSpark to create the full special edition at a price that is affordable for readers 
  3. Covering shipping costs of all signed, dedicated copies (including complete PR boxes) 

If you’d like to pledge your support or for more information on the fundraising campaign, visit the Kickstarter website: https://bit.ly/4f90oq2

About Ellie Jay

Ellie Jay is an independent author with a love of fiction and a nasty habit of sarcasm. She writes books of all different genres and ties them all together with sarcastic third-person narration. At the moment, her published works include The Secrets Series, a trilogy of Russian Mafia action thrillers with dashes of sci-fi and overarching sarcasm and Planet of Lies, a sci-fi story that is packed full of witty dialogue and narration.

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Dark Presence

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Dark Presence, John Turiano, 2024

A sci-fi triller by the author of ‘Project Eight Ball’.

John Turiano and quantum experiments and research are back! This time, though, there are no time jumps – yet…
The story begins in an uncomplicated way: Marie is waiting in a bar for her best friend Kimbra, who is running late. This is quite out of character for Kimbra, but the two have been besties since 6th grade, so she can’t turn her down. But when, after 2 glasses of wine, Kimbra doesn’t show up, Marie decides to call it a night. She is not sure how to feel: upset? Angry? Disappointed? It doesn’t matter. It’s already late, no point waiting any longer, better head home, go to sleep and sort it out tomorrow.
Problem is: there are no more tomorrows for Marie, because that same night she is killed in her own apartment by a mysterious intruder.
Kimbra is very upset by the news, even more so when she is questioned by the police: Marie was in that bar waiting for her, and the messages came from Kimbra’s phone. The problem is that, after a quick search around her house, Kimbra realises that she is not in possession of her phone anymore. And this opens the door to a whole new line of enquiry: did Marie have any enemies? Why someone went as far as stealing Kimbra’s phone to lay a trap for her? A scorned lover perhaps? A jealous co-worker? The possibilities at this point are endless, but Detective Rizzo, in charge of the enquiry, will use Kimbra’s help to explore them all and give Marie justice.
The road is not straightforward, and more than one ghost of their school past will resurface, until the mystery is unravelled. Or is it?

Turiano is back in full force, and he is testing his skills with this thriller with a hint of sci-fi. The cliffhanger end leaves the door open to more, but for now the only sci-fi element is constituted by Kimbra’s line of work – she runs psychological tests at the Quantum Thunder Company and uses one of the tests subjects, who can read minds and connect with people’s pasts, to answer to a few questions about Marie’s death. ‘Dark Presence’ a well-constructed, action-packed thriller, with some very interesting plot twists and plenty of space for a welcome sequel. Turiano’s writing has significantly improved from his last work; the plot is linear, concise but never boring. A great creative effort overall, an intriguing story that was a pleasure to read. Looking forward to more!

‘Dark Presence’ is available for purchase at: https://amzn.to/40eqpQn

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Flash promo (ep. 16): Tony Duxbury

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A fantasy novel with a mystery twist.

Clandestine lives, Tony Leslie Duxbury, 2019

CAN YOU GIVE US A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF YOUR BOOK?

Fex is a jester to Duke Berlac and an unconscious shapeshifter. Torganath is an assassin and has disturbing thoughts about his life. Both of their lives are thrown out of kilter when the emperor allies with Baron Seelix, the Duke’s rival. Fex is shocked when he discovers he is the host to Torganath. Torganath has the contract to assassinate the Duke. The Duke flees and they follow, but there is another unknown personality inside Fex, trying to manifest herself, Reesha the Courtesan. Torganath attempts to kill the Duke but fails. Reesha emerges under torture. The Duke’s magician extracts their histories. The Duke offers them a deal, their lives and freedom in exchange for killing Baron Seelix. They accept the deal. Despite formidable obstacles, they succeed. Once they have avoided a possible double-cross by the Duke’s men, they are free to travel to the only place where they can find answers about their past.

WHAT ARE YOUR BOOK USPs?

This is low fantasy as opposed to high or epic, whose main component is magic. It has three protagonists with unique points of view. They survive more on their wits, guile and brawn instead of magic. It is also a shifter story without werewolves or any other animal.

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?

Tony Duxbury is an expat and has lived in Guatemala for 27 years. His work experience has spanned from dishwasher to English Teacher. His first love was art, but his second passion for travel sent him to many different countries. On one such trip he met his future wife. He started writing after he graduated from Middlesex Polytechnic in London, England. After falling in love with the creative process he has continued to write novels. As an avid reader of fantasy, he also writes in that genre. So far, he has written and self-published nine novels.

Find more about the author on Goodreads and follow him on Facebook and X. You can find his books on Amazon.

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Flash promo (ep. 15): Kristin Dethlefsen

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A YA fantasy book that winks at adults too.

As Red As a Munka Bean, Kristin T. Dethlefsen, 2022

CAN YOU GIVE US A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF YOUR BOOK?

As Red as a Munka Bean is a young adult fantasy about two underdogs who are teleported to another planet to represent Earth in the Interstellar Beauty Contest.
Fifteen-year-old Liam is the only deaf boy at his public high school. He is quiet and has trouble making friends, because he can’t always follow the quick banter in groups, and he lacks confidence. So does his best friend Absalom, who struggles with his weight. They are relentlessly bullied by the Enbesil, a gang of tough, cool boys.
But on Kamim, everything is different. Beings from across the universe have gathered for the yearly Interstellar Beauty Contest, and to them, Absalom is absolutely beautiful. And they communicate with sign language. For the first time, Liam and Absalom belong.
Topher doesn’t. He’s the leader of the Enbesil, who was accidentally brought along. No one on Kamim pays any attention to him at all. Still, Liam and Absalom have to find a way to interact with their bully, and they find he just may be able to help Absalom perfect his walk down the runway…
At times hilarious, at others deadly serious, this young adult novel will keep you hooked to the last page.

WHAT ARE YOUR BOOK USPs?

-In this book you will find: ties fantasy to real life, reader roots for the characters, characters who aren’t perfect or superheroes, but have real life struggles.
Reviews on Amazon described it as “quirky and imaginative”, “a highly enjoyable read!”, “as touching as it is entertaining”, “up-and-coming author takes the reader on an amazing interstellar adventure, all the while staying true to a higher message of diversity and inclusion.”

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?

Kristin has always been an avid reader of many kinds of books: young adult, adventure, fantasy, travel, the classics. As with her reading tastes, the books she writes don’t adhere to just one genre. You’ll find elements of fantasy and contemporary, books for young adults and those for middle grade readers. Travel often figures into her stories as well.
Her stories begin with an idea which may come to her on a walk, in a dream, or in a brainstorming session, and they sometimes develop in ways which surprise even her. Most importantly, perhaps, are the characters, who Kristin hopes you’ll feel like you get to know and understand. Maybe one day you’ll say: So-and-so dances like Absalom or The cloudmakers are having a party! and smile.
Kristin grew up in a small town in Connecticut and began writing ten years ago after her daughter was born. She lives in Germany with her family, where she teaches English as a foreign language to adults.

Find out more about the author on her website, and follow her on her social media (X and Goodreads).

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The Journal

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A Novel By R.D. Stevens

The Journal. Vulpine Press, 2022.

If you have a sibling, you have probably experienced the love-hate relationship that most siblings have. But they are part of your world, you grew up together, through the hard times and the good, and like it or not, the bond is solid, to the point you would do whatever it takes to protect them, even if it meant going to the other side of the world if they got lost.
This is exactly what Ethan Willis, an 18 years old boy from England, does for his older sister, Charlotte: he packs his stuff and goes searching for his missing sister in Cambodia.
When they were kids, Ethan worshipped his sister like no one else. She was the one holding the key to life’s toughest questions, and the corresponding aphoristic answers, that she wrote down on anything: her journal, mostly, but also pieces of scrap paper. She was everything and more for Ethan, until the day she wasn’t there anymore. Towards the end of her university years, Charlotte leaves for Cambodia, looking for herself, even though her parents weren’t exactly supportive of her decision. She was absolutely resolute in finding answers to very important questions, and it was vital that her parents didn’t interfere with her search by asking her to come back home. She did send them handwritten letters every now and then, but she kept in touch more regularly with her brother, emailing roughly every fortnight. At a certain point, though, these emails stop and while Ethan doesn’t immediately get concerned, when more days go by and there is no word from Charlotte, he knows something’s wrong. First thing he does is telling his parents, but it takes them a while to actually listen to him, a bit longer to inform the police and even longer to have Charlotte reported as a missing person.
Hurt, concerned and confused, Ethan leaves for Cambodia himself, trying his best to piece together Charlotte’s movements. Last thing he knows is that she found an advert to teach English in an orphanage, an advert she noticed on a cafe window. There is only one problem: there is about a million of cafes with posters on their windows in Phnom Phen. Which one is the right one?
Eventually Ethan will find it by a stroke of luck and, accompanied by a girl he met at the hostel he is staying at, he will trace back Charlotte’s steps. The journey he takes is both geographical, philosophical and spiritual, leading Ethan towards new knowledge, mindfulness and leaving him with even more questions than when he started.

‘The Journal’ is a touching, powerful coming-of-age novel with the power to transform you. Reading it will change you as much as Ethan’s journey from Cambodia to Thailand changed him: it will make you feel open and vulnerable but also strong and capable and ready for whatever life throws at you. The narrative is simply superb, the right balance of descriptions, dialogues and philosophy, with vivid characters that you would expect to find sitting on the sofa with you. It’s a book that forces you to re-evaluate all your convictions about life, no matter if you are 18 or 80, and decide for yourself what you actually want to keep with you and what you want to get rid of, from the comfort of your favourite reading spot. A book to read again and again and again, as if it was the first time.

‘The Journal’ is available for purchase at: https://amzn.to/3BxBku1