Cap’n Joe’s Interview with the Phenomenal Makestuff & Munchit Creator/Author Paul Valle:

Cap’n Joe: Can you tell my readers a little about yourself?

Paul: Of course! However, I should first point out that the video intro means so much more when you realize that Munchit cannot be seen by Professor Makestuff! Right – back to me: I was born in a house – not a hospital – in Ramsgate in the south east coast of the UK. I lived there for 21 years before moving to Broadstairs (heavy Dickens influence!). I’m married and have three children – all boys. I’ve always been interested in art, design and technology and all of my working career has involved these elements. I have introduced new technology into pre-production studios, run my own design agency, been a consultant for The Hydrographic Office in Taunton, worked as contractor for Pfizer in Sandwich and Adobe in Norwich before moving to Cambridge and I now work for Global Graphics Software in Cambourne – putting all of my in-the-field experience back into the software we create. I’ve been there for 14 years and every day is a massive technological challenge!

Cap’n Joe: When you finished your debut eBook, how did you feel?

Paul: My first thought was that this was just the start of something big! You see, I have designed Makestuff & Munchit® to be totally flexible with the storyboard, technology and creativity. The two characters: Professor Makestuff – a science professor who likes to create – is capable of constructing anything – as he’s a scientist and he has a wonderful aid – his own invention – his Fabricating Belt. That’s something we all wish we had! I’m sure we’d all just like to think of something and look down – and there it is! That invention, though, attracted the attention of the Transdimensional Council – because the matter used for the items being fabricated was being pulled across from other dimensions into ours – so they sent an observer in the form of “Munchit” to ensure the safety of dimensional stability. Because Munchit has large, round, mirror eyes – they are capable of using any ray, beam or particle technology – so whilst writing my stories – I will not be limited by imagination, technology or ability. The “fun” element comes from the fact that Munchit cannot be seen by Professor Makestuff! I’m sure you can see the huge potential and the fun I will have when writing stories for these characters in the future! All of these thoughts happened in a single “WOW” moment! Transdimensional mischief had truly arrived! 🙂

Cap’n Joe: While writing, did you need help with punctuation, grammar, etc., if so where did you turn?

Paul: Luckily my first eBook is reasonably short – so it was easy to persuade friends, colleagues and family to have a read! (I hope I am as fortunate when I write a more lengthy piece!)

Cap’n Joe: With the number of hours spent writing, did your family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them?

Paul: Being naturally creative, I spend a lot of time in my study anyhow – so to my family – it was just more of the same! They always support me! I had a beautifully endearing moment though – that I’d really like to thank you for Joe. When I told my twin boys about this interview, one of them put his arm around me and said: “I’m really proud of you, Dad!” It almost made me cry!

Cap’n Joe: Did writing your first novel benefit you in any way and if so, how?

Paul: Absolutely! It’s such a positive, creative and rewarding activity. For the past ten years, I have had an idea brewing in my mind – but about four years ago I decided that I wouldn’t use 2D watercolours to illustrate my work. I would use 3D as my medium. One of the biggest obstacles was that I had no 3D experience and when looking at programs such as MAYA, the cost was astronomical – not just the software, but the hardware required to run and render it. So I had to wait for technology to catch up with me in terms of speed and cost! 🙂 When it finally had – I was also extremely lucky to find Andy Cocksey – a wonderfully gifted 3D artist. Andy and I got on really well and Andy agreed to teach me how to use a 3D program called “Blender”. It is something that will take me years to master, though! Andy has an excellent gift at being able to identify a requirement and recreate it in 3D space! I provided Andy with a few Photoshop illustrations of what I wanted – and he produced the two 3D characters you can see in the eBook and YouTube video. Andy produced the lion’s share of the images for the first eBook – so that I could focus on getting the story right. It is my hope that – as time goes on – I will become more familiar with Blender and be able to produce more of the 3D images myself – whilst Andy will be able to focus more on the Video and Gaming aspects of Makestuff & Munchit® using MOtion CAPture (MoCap) software that maps your body’s movement directly to the 3D characters in real time! So I will be playing with all of this technology as well as creating entertaining and educational content whilst I’m learning 3D too!

Cap’n Joe: When you were writing your book, did you shut-off from family and all social networks?

Paul: Ha ha! As much as I was able to – yes! Creativity doesn’t have to be a lonely place – but it is my belief that having absolute focus on the environment you are creating is paramount to projecting your vision into words and visual media. Constant interruptions or being forced to only be creative between 5 and 6 o’clock (IMO) just doesn’t work at all. Ignoring the phone ringing often led to somebody opening my study door and asking me why I hadn’t answered it! Getting into the frame of mind where visualization of the intended story is crystal clear in one’s mind is absolutely necessary to be able to express any emotion and your scene’s environment vividly and accurately!

Cap’n Joe: Do you have any particular goal in mind when you are writing?

Paul: For my first eBook, the target audience includes anybody who wants to learn but is bored by conventional learning techniques and finds that traditional methods are totally unrewarding. Anybody from 4 years old to 104 years old (or older!!) should be able to benefit from my educational eBooks. I’ve tried to make them interesting – using lots of images too! I’ve also used a technique which is learning through repetition. Yes, that’s right: learning through repetition! (lol) Any specific area where the subject being taught needs to be learned by the reader in order for them to fully understand it – I have introduced Munchit in such a way that Munchit will eat or destroy (for example, by using his laser beam) part of what’s being taught, so that Professor Makestuff then has to re-make or re-do it. This method of construct/deconstruct/reconstruct enforces the subject being taught in such a way that the reader will automatically (and easily) identify what’s being taught when it is reconstructed – but at the original point of learning – they may well have switched off! It is my hope that this method can be applied to very simple subjects as well as extremely complicated subjects too!
Cap’n Joe: Did you use friends or family members as Beta readers for your debut novel, if so who?

Paul: My wife and children and a couple of close friends were used to provide feedback to me. When I had created the first video – one of the pieces of feedback I received was totally unexpected. The video starts with a silver screw head sticking out of the name – but originally, it was a large black screw head with no thread – and my eldest son told me it looked just like a penis! 🙂 When I looked at it again – I had to agree with him! Oops!! So – after a brief discussion with Andy – it was changed from that – to a silver screw with a thread running down it – and that’s what you see today in the “official” video release! I have to say that I think I received some excellent feedback from friends and family and I have tried to understand all the points they made and the implications involved in changing anything. I am very open to ideas and opinions and I’m pretty sure they will notice that I had definitely taken their comments on board and acted on them. It’s great to receive feedback where being PC or fear of offending doesn’t dominate!

Cap’n Joe: Where can people find out more about what’s going on in your world?

Paul: I have created a website which is more like a blog, so that anybody interested in finding out what’s new or looking back at any of the technical issues I’ve had in the past – or I’m having to deal with now – can follow my journey of bringing Makestuff & Munchit® to life here: http://makestuffandmunchit.co.uk/
Cap’n Joe: What do you do when you aren’t writing?

Paul: I like playing golf. I am a football fan of ARSENAL and visit the Emirates Stadium in London to see them play as often as I can. I play tennis with my family at the weekends too! I enjoy socialising with friends and love eating freshly prepared and freshly cooked food. Being naturally creative, though, I’m always busy working on various concepts. Having Makestuff & Munchit® to promote is occupying a great deal of my (ahem!) “spare” time! So I’d really like to thank you for providing me with this opportunity of allowing your BLOG readers to find out a little about Makestuff & Munchit® and when they do – I really hope that they feel that they can provide me with some feedback on whether they like the characters, the concept, or both! I’d really appreciate that. (Thank You Readers!)

Cap’n Joe: Where can readers go to find your eBook?

Paul: Readers have the opportunity of seeing my first Makestuff & Munchit® eBook here:http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00L57IBA8

Cap’n Joe: Thank you Paul for taking time out from your busy day to answer my questions. I’ve enjoyed getting to know a lot more about you. It’s a pleasure having you join my blog. I wish you the very best with your book and any you publish in the future.

Cap’n Joe’s Interview with #Awesome #Romance #Author Sheila Bliss

Cap’n Joe: Hello, everyone. I’d like to welcome, upcoming new author, Sheila Bliss. Is Bliss your real last name?

Sheila: Hi Joe. Thanks for allowing me to talk about my writing and my book. I’m grateful for the opportunity. Yes, Joe, Bliss is my real last name. And I’m all about finding and following your bliss.

Cap’n Joe: Have you found yours?

Sheila: Yes, Joe, I have. I’m really excited to tell you about it.

Cap’n Joe: Well, don’t let me stop you.

Sheila: Since becoming a writer, I’ve found my bliss. I love to write. I love to write stories about flawed characters, the choices they make in life and how those choices impact their life.  

Cap’n Joe: Hmmm…I’m sensing a theme here, or possibly a title to a book?

Sheila: Ha! You’re quick Joe! Yes, the title of my book is Choices.

Cap’n Joe: Why don’t you tell us a little about the book?

Sheila: Thanks, Joe, I’d love to. My story is about a woman trapped in a loveless marriage and abused emotionally. She’s at a crossroads in her life and needs to make a choice. When is enough…enough? is a question I think everyone asks from time to time. When do you give yourself the permission to put yourself first when the person you’re married to, isn’t involved emotionally in the relationship. Choices is a story about just that…choices, mixed in with suspense, addictions, redemption, oh and let’s not forget some steamy romance.

Cap’n Joe: Steamy romance, you say!

Sheila: Yes, steamy romance, Joe. It’s a great weekend read for the beach, especially since we still have a lot of summer left on the calendar, here, in the States.

Cap’n Joe: That sounds exciting! Choices seems to contain a bit of everything.

Sheila: It certainly does Joe.

Cap’n Joe: Where can we find your book, Choices?

Sheila: Well, I’m glad you asked, Joe. You can find my self-published books here on Amazon  http://goo.gl/GLuDYI or here on Smashwords http://goo.gl/VPjxWe

Cap’n Joe: Are you working on anything else at the moment?

Sheila: Oh, I’m so excited you asked that question! Yes! I am! I’m currently writing the sequel to Choices, titled Forgiveness. It’s being edited by Lori Lesko. I’m so excited to be working with her and I’m busy typing away. Forgiveness is a choice, too. You need to chose to forgive those that hurt you, everyday. It’s not something that comes and falls in your lap. Forgiveness takes work and commitment. You need to make CHOICES to accept and maintain FORGIVENESS.  

 Cap’n Joe: Well, they both sound very exciting, Sheila. Thank you, for taking time out from your busy day to answer my questions. I’ve enjoyed getting to know a lot more about you. It’s a pleasure having you join my blog.

Sheila: Thank you very much Joe, for the opportunity. I’m very grateful to you for hosting my interview on your blog and giving me the chance to talk about Choices. I hope that your readers, if they are interested, will pick up my story Choices and find encouragement through the flaws.   

Cap’n Joe’s Interview with a former Saudi Princess’s bodyguard – Author Jana Petken

Captain Joe’s Interview with Jana Petken author of the remarkable: “The Guardians of Secrets.”

Cap’n Joe: Can you tell my readers a little about your background nationality/ancestry?

Jana Petken: Hi Cap’n Joe!

I live in Spain but I’m Scottish and British, with a lot of Irish blood flowing through my veins. I guess I’m a mongrel, with various cultural idiosyncrasies.

I’m adventurous. I’ve travelled the world, twice over, and have a military police background. I’ve arrested drunken sailors, fought hand to hand combat with them when they refused to go quietly into the back of my prisoner wagon.

I’ve been a Saudi Princess’s bodyguard and spent a good ten years of my life in designer clothes shops and drinking cups of tea, whilst wishing for a glass of wine.

I was cabin crew for British Airways, worldwide fleet, and ended that career by bouncing my head off a Boeing 747 cabin ceiling at 39,000 feet – And how did that happen? Well, flying into clear air turbulence can drop an aircraft thousands of feet in a matter of seconds. You could say I flew inside a flying machine with a pot of coffee in my hand. 

Cap’n Joe: When you finished your debut novel, how did you feel?

Jana Petken: Finishing my novel, The Guardian of Secrets, was a strange sensation. I lived with the story for years, always expanding, researching, and deleting. When I eventually slapped myself, saying: Enough is enough, it’s done,” I felt as though I was giving away my children, such was my attachment to the characters – Poor me, I was a mother in an empty nest, wondering how my little 717 page book would fair in that big, scary, Amazon Jungle where millions of other little books live and fight. 

Cap’n Joe: While writing, did you need help with punctuation, grammar, etc., if so where did you turn?

Jana Petken: (She laughs) I turned blue with exasperation and impatience – The computer grammar and punctuation program lies, at times, I’m sure of it. I didn’t ask for help nor did I study the necessary nuances, which are required in order to write a good, readable book – My final draft looked fine to me until a reputable editor got hold of it and then sent it back covered in red corrections – Oh, and some very critical comments, which made me cry!

The editing process was like an intensive writing course and I will always be grateful to that particular editor for opening my eyes to the literary world with its rules, pitfalls, and magical transformations, which occurs when Grammar is given the respect it deserves.

Cap’n Joe: With the number of hours spent writing, did your family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them?

Jana Petken: I lived alone at the time – actually, I still do. I wrote when and where I wanted. I doubt if anyone knew I was missing half the time, as I was always travelling – I did a fair bit of writing in hotel rooms, from Pakistan to New York. Most of the time I didn’t know if it was day or night, in fact, on a few occasions I woke up in a hotel bed, desperately trying to remember what country I was in.

Cap’n Joe: Did writing your first novel benefit you in any way and if so, how?

Jana Petken: I’m going to go out on a limb here and be honest with you. Whilst recuperating at home after my, head bumping accident, I got into the habit of watching movies, all day, all night, until I fell asleep. One day I stood in the Blockbuster Video store, making a scene, because they had no new movies for me to rent. I realized then that I’d seen everything, I mean everything they had to offer, apart from Porn – That was the moment I also came to the conclusion that I needed a new hobby – Thus, my first novel not only benefited me, it saved my sanity.

 Cap’n Joe: When you were writing your book, did you shut-off from family and all social networks?

Jana Petken: Don’t laugh. I only got an internet connection a couple of years ago. It scared the living daylights out of me. I thought that if I pressed the wrong buttons I’d blow something up. Guess I really did watch too many movies! My family lived in Spain and I was living in England, at that time, but had they been in the same house, I would have closed my bedroom door and put up a “Do not disturb” sign and another saying “Bring me coffee, please.”

Cap’n Joe: Did you use friends or family members as Beta readers for your debut novel, if so who?

Jana Petken: I asked some friends to read it, before editing. A couple of them were very helpful. The novel is, historical fiction, and they pointed out certain inconsistencies with regards to the period. A couple of my friends concentrated on the story and their advice stopped me from killing off a certain character. They all said they saw a movie or TV series and that’s why I have also have a completed screenplay.

Cap’n Joe: What do you do when you aren’t writing? Do you have any hobbies?

Jana Petken: I have a Labrador who loves to take long walks. I’m lucky, I live on the coast, and I’m surrounded by mountains. Oops, I still love movies. I paint in oils – Sometimes I wish I’d never found the internet. It’s like a big black hole that sucks me in and keeps me prisoner for hours at a time. Thank God for the dog. She forces me to go out, as do my friends, at times.

Cap’n Joe: Where can readers go to find your book?

Jana Petken: On, Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Guardian-Secrets-Her-Deathly-Pact-ebook/dp/B00FALY27Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403355768&sr=8-1&keywords=Jana+Petken

Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.com/Guardian-Secrets-Her-Deathly-Pact-ebook/dp/B00FALY27Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403355768&sr=8-1&keywords=Jana+Petken

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/jana-petken?keyword=jana+petken&store=book

Website: http://janapetken.com/site/

Cap’n Joe: Thank you Jana Petken for taking time out from your busy day to answer my questions. I’ve enjoyed getting to know a lot more about you. It’s a pleasure having you join my blog. I wish you the very best with your book and any you publish in the future.

Cap’n Joe’s #FUN Interview with #Radio Show Host the voluptuous Camille Sanzone:

Cap’n Joe: Can you tell my readers a little about your background, and your nationality?

Camille: My full name is Camille Adelina Sanzone…that should tell you something right off the bat, Joe.  I come from a very strict Sicilian family, but there was always lots of music, lots of food, lots of laughter, lots of food…  Did I say that already? (Laughs.) I was raised with food to the left of me and food to the right of me.  My luck – it settled in front of me and behind me. 

Cap’n Joe:  (Laughs.) I’ve seen your photo, Camille.  I’m not seeing that.

Camille:  Well, I am what you might politely call voluptuous, or as Garfield the Cat might describe as undertall.  But it works for me; my full face helps push out wrinkles before they can take hold, and when I take off my bra, my double dees pull out the rest of them. (Laughs again.)

Cap’n Joe:  Now that’s an image!  Well, that tells me a piece about you; now tell me about your background.

Camille:  I won’t recite my entire résumé…as my background has been diverse. I’ve been a caseworker in children’s protective services and I’ve been a bank training officer; I’ve worked with people challenged with AIDS, seniors struggling with Alzheimer’s disease; I’ve been an instructor with Women In Distress, teaching a program in middle and high schools called “It’s not OK,” about abusive relationships; I’ve been executive producer at an all news/talk radio station, and an activities coordinator at a senior citizen day center…among other things.

Cap’n Joe:  Whew!  I’m tired just hearing the list!  Sounds like you’ve lived a life of service, Camille. Tell me, what prompted you to write your book, At the End of your Rope? Tie a Knot & Hang On! Help has Arrived!

Camille:  I started writing it in 1986, after writing an 8-page suicide letter. 

Cap’n Joe:  A suicide letter?

Camille:  Yes, and the operative word in that sentence, Joe, is letter; had I written the traditional suicide note, I might have gone through with it, but 8 long, hand-written pages later, I had managed to talk myself out of it.  For once in my life, being prolific saved it! 

Cap’t Joe:  That was 1986. You’re not saying it took you twenty-eight years to write your book, are you?

Camille:  Perhaps, in a way, because it took me 28 years to be ready to write it.  After I wrote that letter, I wrote a few chapters of what was going to be a Suicide-Prevention Manual because I wanted to share what I’d learned.

Cap’n Joe:  And what was that?

Camille:  That most people who attempt suicide don’t really want to die; they just don’t want to go on living the way they’ve been living.  I know all I wanted was for the emotional pain to stop.  But somehow I didn’t think people would buy a Suicide-Prevention Manual – too much stigma attached to the title; so, I put the chapters away and didn’t go back to them until a few years ago.  When I did, I came at it from a whole new perspective.  At the End of your Rope is decidedly not a Suicide-prevention manual; it is a Life-embracing Manual.

Cap’t Joe:  How so?

Camille: Well, I realized I had to make an about-face, make better choices and take responsibility for my own happiness. You’ve probably heard of NDE’s, Joe; an NDE being a Near Death Experience.  Well, if I had committed suicide, I would have had an NLE, a Near Life Experience.  You see, Joe, I was so close to living a full life, but because of the monumental, albeit temporal pain, I almost summarily ended it.

Cap’t Joe:  I never thought of suicide that way.

Camille:  As an aside, Joe, once when I was in counseling, my therapist asked me if I had considered suicide.  My immediate response was, “No, but thanks for the suggestion.” My sense of humor is, apparently, always intact.  Anyway, actually contemplating suicide gave me the jolt I needed to choose to live life consciously, intentionally, and with joy. And my book is intended to show others how to do that, to encourage them to take a deep breath of life and assure them that things are going to get better, that they’re going to be OK.  But my book is not just for people on the verge…it is truly for anyone who wants to find better and more life-enhancing ways of being in the world.

Cap’n Joe:  It must have felt especially sweet, then, to finally finish your book.

Camille:  It was such a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, Joe, but I must confess the moment that gave me the biggest thrill was actually holding my book in my hands for the very first time.  It made me giddy.

Cap’n Joe:  I understand you published your book with Amazon’s CreateSpace program. Why?

Camille:  I had already waited so long to write the book, I really didn’t want to wait any longer to find an agent and then a publisher.  I wanted to see my book in print as soon as possible.  At least I can say I’ve never received a rejection letter! 

Cap’n Joe:  Are you working on any other books?

Camille:  I’m reformatting my one-woman play into a book: Confessions of a Recovering Catholic: I still make the sign of the cross when I pass a PIZZA HUT!  While it makes some serious observations, it is, essentially, filled with material from my stand up routines.

Cap’n Joe:  Wait a minute, you also do stand up comedy?  How long have you been doing that?

Camille:  I’ve done it on and off since the eighties.  Through my work in radio, I met the great, late Phyllis Diller when I was 35.  She heard me do my act and was very encouraging, telling me she was 35 when she began her career, but I wasn’t cut out for the life of  a stand-up comic – traveling across the country, doing one-night stands.  So, instead, I’ve incorporated my comedy into the workshops I do in personal and spiritual growth, under the auspices of For A Better Way.

Cap’n Joe: And what is For a Better Way?

Camille:  Right now it’s the name of my website, and the name of what I hope to be a nonprofit organization.  I’m seeking mentors and benefactors to help me establish it as a  501c3. If any of your readers are in the know about such things…HOLLER!

Cap’n Joe:  And what would be the mission of For a Better Way?

Camille:  Primarily, to present programs in schools, as well as to the general population, on compassionate living.  I believe so strongly that if we teach children the importance of being kind, of being compassionate, of seeking to understand rather than to be right, we would go a long way in preventing bullying in all areas of life.  I want to train trainers to present “A Better Way” programs in their local communities across the United States, especially in schools, from elementary to high school.

Cap’n Joe:  You seem very passionate about it.

Camille:  Oh, I am; that’s why I am writing a trilogy: Compassionate Parenting, Compassionate Leadership and Compassionate Living. 

Cap’n Joe: Dare I ask what you do when you aren’t writing?

Camille:   I play at the piano, and I have sing-alongs with friends and family.  I also host a weekly Internet radio show, “Tie a Knot & Hang On! Help has Arrived!”  It airs LIVE Wednesdays at 1 pm Eastern Time on: http://w4wn.com/

Cap’n Joe: Where can readers go to find your book?

Camille:  They can go to Amazon.com, enter my name: Camille Sanzone and they’ll find the perfect-bound 8 X 10 paperback of At the End of your Rope? Tie a Knot & Hang On! Help has arrived!, along with a couple of kindle-edition books I’ve written: A Conversation with Some Angels, which is the backstory of how I came to write, or veritably channel from the angels themselves, the 82-line poem of the same title, and Drop the WAIT: Someday Is Now!

Cap’n Joe: Thank you, Camille, for taking time out from your busy day to answer my questions. You’re an interesting and funny lady and I’ve enjoyed getting to know a lot more about you. It’s a pleasure having you join my blog. I wish you the very best with your book, anything else you publish in the future, and with your radio show.

Camille:  Thank you, Joe.  I appreciate the opportunity to introduce myself to your readers.  Whatever path they take, I hope they keep choosing ever better ways of being in the world.

Plz note: People who are interested in helping Camille start a nonprofit organization can reach her at:  forabetterway@aol.com. Website is: www.forabetterway.net. 

Plz RT: Help Bekki Pate Reach her #Target of 250 pre-orders to become a #Published #Author:

This is an altruistical campaign to help Bekki Pate realize her dream to become a best-selling “PUBLISHED” author. As you read this Interview you’ll soon discover that she is an exceptionally talented creative young writer.

Cap’n Joe: Can you tell my readers a little about your background nationality/ancestry?

Bekki Pate: Most of me is English, although I have one Grandad who was Irish, which is probably where I get my strange sense of humour. My other Grandad is Scottish, and at the grand old age of ninety-one, he can still drink me under the table. I grew up in Nottingham, and spent a few years in Spain when I was in my teens. Ultimately I missed the green lushness of my own country, and I was glad when we came back. I currently live in Cannock, Staffordshire, home of the famous Cannock Chase – I find it both peaceful and creepy when walking through it. It’s where part of my book trailer was filmed, too.

Cap’n Joe: When you finished your debut novel, how did you feel?

Bekki Pate: I think in my head it will never be finished – I can’t stop my mind from thinking ‘hang on, if I change this bit, and alter the plot here, it will be so much better!’ and so I embarked on another arduous journey through draft number 453, coming out the other end with a headache and caffeine jitters. I have learned to leave it alone now, so the version that is up for Britain’s Next Bestseller is the absolute final one…unless I have another Eureka moment. 

Cap’n Joe: While writing, did you need help with punctuation, grammar, etc., if so where did you turn?

Bekki Pate: I am a qualified editor and proofreader, so a lot of it I did myself. Although a golden rule is that the worst person to review your own work is you, so I ‘gently pressed’ a few friends to read my work. Their feedback has been so valuable to me – things that I had missed over and over again were suddenly pointed out to me, glaring back from the page. 

As a writer you don’t notice some things that would be obvious to readers – one example was that I had got the colour of Jim Bean completely wrong, and another was that in one moment, a character had a cup of tea, and in the next moment they had a glass of water. Embarrassing!

Cap’n Joe: With the number of hours spent writing, did your family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them?

Bekki Pate: My partner actually helped me set up my own writing room, filled it with flowers and a new desk and chairs, so I had my own space. He doesn’t really mind as I am quite good at balancing my writing with other important daily activities like work and slobbing in front of the TV. 

The only other person who got to know my writing habits was my sister, but she hates books so she didn’t really ask about it. I remember walking into a WH Smith bookshop with her once and she looked around in horror, covered her ears and made a strange mewling sound. It was hilarious.

Cap’n Joe: Did writing your first novel benefit you in any way and if so, how?

Bekki Pate: It taught me patience, self-loathing, self-criticism, and the fact that no matter how long I work at it, it won’t be completely perfect. I’m not sure these are benefits but it was great for character building! 

It also taught me that, instead of flogging a dead horse, rip the horse into pieces, throw it in the bin, and start again with a fresh, new, crisp horse, and start over. My mantra is that you are limited by nothing but your own imagination, so the only thing limiting you is yourself. Since the imagination is – in theory- limitless, sometimes you have to go on that extra pilgrimage to find the best idea, rather than go with what’s easy. This is what I mean by patience. I have spent weeks mulling something over sometimes, and only when I feel that giddy excitement about an idea, do I write it down.

Cap’n Joe: When you were writing your book, what kept you going?

Bekki Pate: The knowledge that I will never want to do anything else with as much passion and with as much love as I want to write. That even if I’m tired, or feeling uninspired, or I just want to give up and be a ‘normal’ person, I knew I had to tell my story, I had to keep my characters alive. It’s not a choice for me, it’s like a drug, a need. 

Cap’n Joe: Did you use friends or family members for inspiration as characters for your novel, if so who?

Bekki Pate: Most of my characters are based on real people, but I have chosen snippets of their personalities and mixed them up to create them. My character Beth is based on different aspects of three school friends – I don’t even think they know this! The male protagonist Nick is purely fictional, but I got his name from my partner – who at the time wasn’t even my partner! We have been friends for years.

There is of course a little bit of myself in all my characters (except for the murderous demon rapist who goes by the name of Freya, I guess…) I think this happens for most authors – you can’t help but put something of yourself in there. 

Cap’n Joe: What do you do when you aren’t writing? Do you have any hobbies?

Bekki Pate: No, I’m all work and no play. Okay, that’s a joke! I love reading – anything from Sarah Waters to Sebastian Faulks to Stephen King. I am a sucker for anything paranormal really, or anything romantic.

I’m also a huge film buff – the best film I have been to see recently is The Grand Budapest Hotel – it is a masterpiece – if you haven’t been to see it yet, it’s still out at the cinemas, so go! You won’t be disappointed.

I’m also an avid people-watcher…purely for research purposes of course. Sometimes you witness things that are too funny or too tragic to have been made up, and they subsequently appear in my books. If some of the strangers in the street knew exactly how much they had helped me with a scene or a phrase!

Cap’n Joe: Where can readers go to find your book?

Bekki Pate: To pre-order my book, and help me reach my target of 250, you can visit me

HERE: https://britainsnextbestseller.co.uk/index.php/book/index/TheFragmentTrilogyTheWillowTree .

My book only gets published if I reach this target so if you like what you see, please click the pre-order button! You won’t pay anything until the campaign ends in September, and that’s only if I am successful.

Cap’n Joe: Thank you Bekki for taking time out from your busy day to answer my questions. I’ve enjoyed getting to know a lot more about you. It’s a pleasure having you join my blog. I wish you the very best with your book and any you publish in the future.

Cap’n Joe’s +18 Comedy Interview with the “Hilarious” Karl Wiggins #Comedy:

Cap’n Joe: Can you tell my readers a little about your background nationality / ancestry?

Karl Wiggins: I’m British. Born on the South coast of England, which I think accounts for my love of the ocean. As a child I lived in a place called Cannock Chase in the Midlands, which was the scene of the infamous Cannock Chase Murders. Three young girls were sexually assaulted and murdered by a man called Raymond Leslie Morris. He died in prison only this year. The murders covered a three-year time span and one of the largest manhunts in British History. As children we didn’t really understand the implications of this and our taunt at school was always, “The murderer will get you!” Despite all this it was a happy time and we roamed the woodland walks and trails without a second’s thought to danger, only coming home when we were hungry or it got dark.

When I was 11 our family moved to London, and I went through a tough time of it at school because the education system was different. I found myself bottom of the class and in five years didn’t really improve much from there. I just believed I was stupid, and no one bothered to tell me any different.

As to my ancestry, I’m ¾ London and ¼ Irish, but I don’t hold with all that Plastic Paddy bullshit. On my father’s side my family were plasters from Harlesden, in North-West London, an area now known for its vibrant Caribbean culture and possibly unofficially London’s reggae capital. The area has a rich boxing culture with immigrants mainly from the Caribbean, Ireland, Columbia, Portugal and Brazil. My mother was born in Peckham in South-East London.

An ancestor of mine, Jesse Wiggins, was hung for stealing sheep, and I don’t know how I feel about that. Was he a dashing, swashbuckling ‘outlaw’ or a desperate, brutal criminal?

I’d like to think he was a rustler or possibly a highwayman, a ‘knight of the road.’ Dick Turpin perhaps, or maybe Sixteen-String Jack Rann, who bantered with the crowd and danced a jig before he was executed. But in all reality Jesse Wiggins was probably hungry, and stole a battered old sheep to feed his family.

Cap’n Joe: When did you start writing and how did you feel when you’d finished your first book?

Karl Wiggins: Oh wow! It wasn’t like that at all. I was sitting outside a scuba-diving club in the Algarve when I first started to write. There were half a dozen divers milling about in various stages of undress. Some were washing their gear out in the diptank and a couple were sitting back with a beer in their hands reflecting on the reef they’d just dived. I knew all of them, and they knew me, and I knew that each and every one of them had pissed in his wetsuit that day.

This isn’t a Hell’s Angels thing or anything. It’s just that the temperature drops on deep dives and one way to keep warm is to have a piss in your suit. I’m a Dive Leader with almost 150 dives logged, but looking back that was one of the first things I learned as a novice. A metaphor for my life that I accepted with a philosophical shrug of my shoulders.

With long hair and a beard, and skin toasted sunset bronze by the Portuguese climate, I didn’t look out of place outside a dive club on the Algarve. A couple of tattoos and an ‘interesting’ scar on the left shoulder completed the picture. What did look out of place was the laptop Compaq word processor sitting there on the table in front of me.

I’d previously thought writers were supposed to use a typewriter and go tap tap tap tap, slam the carriage return, tap tap tap tap, slam the carriage return, tap tap tap, “Oh bollocks!” rip the paper out, screw it up and sling it across the room to join the rest of the crumpled pieces of paper that had also missed the bin. Then stand up and walk to the window, still in their dressing gown of course, and stare out at the view sipping cold coffee.

It was the thought of the cold coffee that finally persuaded me to follow my wife’s advice and buy the thing. And it was really pissing me off. I had no idea how the bloody thing worked. The instructions she’d left me made no sense whatsoever. In fact it had taken me 45 minutes that morning to get the bloody thing turned on and working, much to the entertainment and delight of this beer-bellied bunch of sub-aquanauts. Their laughter jangled in my ears as they trudged down to the beach, heavily burdened down with buoyancy jackets and tanks, masks and fins. And I can assure you that with copious amounts of post-dive alcohol, it had not abated at all.

But I persevered. My first book ‘Grit – The Banter and Brutality of the Late-Night Cab Driver’ details a particularly scary part of my life, driving cab amongst gangs of Bloods and Crips in South-Central L.A. I was robbed, I was chased, I had a gun shoved in my face, one of the other drivers was shot, but what did I expect? I was white London boy driving cab amongst gangs who arguably the most violent in the United States. Despite all this, people tell me there’s a lot of humour in the book.

So how did I feel when I’d finished the book? Relieved. All the memories had been ghosted away. They’re still there, of course, but they don’t me anymore.

Cap’n Joe: While writing, where do you look for when searching out new words, or for advice with grammar and punctuation?

Karl Wiggins: I’m actually not bad at it myself, although I like to experiment, to break the rules if you like. I once co-authored a book for a chef. It was an unproductive relationship, but upon reflection I eventually came to understand the parallel lives of the writer and the chef.

A chef’s magic is his ingredients, how he can substitute one for another, then break with convention by changing it all around again without once referring to the recipe. And then just at the death complete the beauty by adding another element never previously thought of. Well words are the writer’s sorcery, our dark arts and our sleight of hand. They’re our enchantment and our temptation. Sometimes both the chef and the writer overindulges himself and it gets out of hand, but that’s how we like it, it’s how we’ve ghosted some of our best creations.

A real piece of writing is one in which the writer has tried to enrich not only the book, but also his understanding of the words. The words themselves have to be open to new ideas and suggestions, and the writer himself must have the audacity to attempt new things and to risk failure. Every one of the big breakthroughs in the art of literature has possibly started as what many would call a ludicrous or even laughable idea as the writer occasionally balances a routine piece with an investment in the eccentric and untried. Over time, the reward is usually worth the risk.

To produce new works he’ll use a kind of sixth sense as well as the logical process. He’ll enjoy playing with words, and that’ll help his brain to relax and produce better ideas. His study is where he discovers order and finds hidden meanings in the words. He’ll enjoy expanding the boundaries of what is feasible, and is possibly motivated more by the writing than by the hard cash that is the reward for writing.

Cap’n Joe: With the number of hours spent writing, did your family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them, or do you just shut them off?

Karl Wiggins: That’s a very interesting point, and I thank you for having the audacity to raise it. I guess my wife, Sue, has got used to me by now, but I suspect she doesn’t really approve. It must be terribly hard to live with a writer because his mind is always in two or more places at once. I make every effort to stay in the present. If anyone comes into my study when I’m writing, which they do a lot, I immediately take my glasses off, spin around in my chair and attempt to focus entirely on the conversation. My face possibly gives off the impression of full attention, but inside I’m in turmoil. I’m making every effort to focus on the conversation in front of me whilst still holding onto the thoughts in my head that I’m desperate to get down on paper.

I’ve held onto thoughts for months, possibly years, and at times it can be very stressful. There’s a book I desperately want to write, but I’ve got two more I want to finish first, one I hope to publish any day now and another that I’m having so much fun writing that I can’t wait to get back to it. So my mind’s all over the place.

I also see humorous material – which is my genre – all around me so I keep adding to my list all the time. Ha ha, I wish I could get writer’s block once in a while to give myself a break.

I mentioned above that it must be tough on a writer’s family, and that’s very true. Although I work in construction management I’m hopeless at D.I.Y. A lot of blokes at work say, “There are a few jobs the missus wants me to do over the weekend,” but Sue does most of the D.I.Y. jobs in our house, only calling on me for something that requires strength. She’s a very hard worker, a machine, but tends to tut and sigh about it a lot. You can’t really blame her, can you?

I’ve got a friend who sits on the sofa and snuggles up with her boyfriend every night to watch telly. She could never live with a writer. But saying that I don’t really think Sue understands or appreciates the mind of a writer either, even after all these years. I sometimes feel she thinks I’m wasting my time, but it’s not as if I’m down the bookies or the pub or chasing other women!

There are TV programmes we like to watch together and as I feel family time is important I’ll always come in and watch with them. So I’ll give up writing time to sit together and watch a TV show, and as soon as it starts both Sue and our son get out their I Pads and start searching out stuff on those. So once again I feel like I’m on my own in the room, and want to get back to my writing.

It’s a wretched occupation, that of the writer.

Cap’n Joe: Did writing your first book benefit you in any way and if so, how?

Karl Wiggins: Yeah! Well, not my first book, Grit, which I published Print-on-Demand, but the first book I e-published, ‘Calico Jack in your Garden.’

I’d been doing a lot of writing on Facebook and various writers’ sites, developing a small fan base. More than one person told me that whenever they saw an e-mail from me or a new Facebook posting they would go and get a cup of coffee before starting to read it, and they would then howl with laughter. I have an inappropriate sense of humour and this appeared to be appreciated by more and more readers.

I contacted a Scottish writer, Denise Marr, who I think is extremely talented, and suggested we put a book together on our observations of life. With Denise’s Scottish colloquialisms and straight talking I felt we could compliment each other very well. I suggested calling the book “Marr-mite” after Denise’s last name, indicating that people would either love us or hate us. But in the end we decided to go it alone. However, big Shoutout here for Denise Marr. Watch out for this extremely talented Scottish writer in the future.

So I went it alone, and there was one reason I was anxious to complete the project. As I mentioned earlier, I’d been co-authoring a book with a chef, but he was of the opinion that we should now start touting the book around the agents and publishers. I wanted to prove to him that we didn’t need them, we could go it alone, and that they were all dinosaurs anyway. So when I published ‘Calico Jack’ he saw the possibilities.

I was also anxious to get his book out there because I know an armed robber who is currently writing his book in jail. Well, I know his wife very well, she’s a friend, I’ve only ever met him once, and he impressed me as a really nice guy. It’s a book I know would sell, so at the time I was hoping to partner him with it. I also know a Gypsy bare-knuckle fighter and was kind of interested in writing his story.

Nothing came of any of this, and right now I haven’t the time to co-author or ghost-write anybody’s book, but I guess my motivations are always slightly different from a lot of other authors.

Cap’n Joe: So do you think your style of writing appeals to everyone?

Karl Wiggins; No way! I’m very much aware that I have an inappropriate sense of humour that isn’t to everyone’s taste, and that not everyone ‘gets’ me. But I’m alright with that, in fact I take it as a compliment because if all I write about is autumn mists and weary rocks and caramel brown rivers and turquoise waters and babies smiling and musical brooks and the eternal war of the sea and the shore and all that other great stuff then I’m not being controversial enough.

I can write in that manner, as I think I’ve demonstrated in my book ‘Words are our Sorcery,’ but for the most part if you’re looking for books that are all sweetness and light, hoping that we can all work together to make the world a better place, please give my books a miss. They’re not for you. My books are often me making every attempt to bring to life all the not-so-ordinary people that cross my path, even if most of them break my balls.

This does, however, have the affect that a lot of people smile, laugh or wet their knickers, and either way you look at it that’s got to be a success.

Cap’n Joe: Did you use friends or family members as Beta readers for your first book, if so who?

Karl Wiggins: Joking, aren’t you!

Cap’n Joe: What advice would you give to other writers?

Karl Wiggins: Enjoy it! Enjoy your writing. If you’re struggling at it and are of the belief system that you’ve got to write 1000 words a day no matter what, you’ll find yourself approaching your work with about as much enthusiasm as you carry the shopping in from the car. And trust me, the reader can tell.

Secondly, if you’ve got writers’ block then stop writing. Take six months off; spend a year at the beach, hitch-hike around the world, whatever. You’ll come back refreshed with so many thoughts and words flowing around your brain, pulsating and swimming, knocking into one another until you can finally ambush them and leak them out onto the page. This, believe it or not, is how I write.

Cap’n Joe: The self-publishing industry has received a little bad press recently. Any thoughts on that?

Karl Wiggins: Erma Bombek once famously stated, “It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else,” and it’s true.

Isn’t it funny how the perspective changes with the point of view? Take a band, for instance. If they go out and record their first album themselves, sell a few copies to their mates, try and persuade a local record store to stock the album and promote it every time they do a live gig, then everyone gives them a pat on the back, congratulates them and generally blows smoke up their arse. They’re being proactive, right? They’re not hanging around, waiting for someone to discover them. They’re putting hard-earned pound notes behind their belief in their own ability to entertain.

“Fair play to ‘em.”

And, of course, it’s the same thing when someone opens a business – a restaurant, or a clothing stall, or a record shop or scuba-diving school. It’s a different story when an author does exactly the same thing though, isn’t it? “Is it one of these self-publishing things?” people say.

Well six years ago, for the first time in history, more books were self-published than those published traditionally. The following year, 2009, 76% of all books released were self-published, and since then traditional publishing houses have continued to reduce the number of books they produce.

Two years ago the number of self-published titles in 2012 jumped to more than 391,000 in the U.S. alone, let alone in the UK and the rest of the world.

391,000 self-published books. That’s 59% more than the previous year, and 422% over 2007.

The traditional publishers and literary agents have had things their own way far too long, and the only thing that keeps them from realising they’re a dying breed is nothing but their own bloody arrogance! They’re an endangered species and they must surely be feeling it in their bones.

How dare certain people, with their egotistical, autocratic and moth-eaten sense of their own self-importance look at me sideways and ask “Is it one of these self-publishing things?”

Cap’n Joe: Any final words?

Karl Wiggins: Yes, I love to hear from readers. Please contact me. You can find me on Twitter on @HoboKarl or you can talk to me on Amazon.

And please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. If you’ve enjoyed my writing or even if you hate it, please let me know. Feedback is vital to a writer, and Amazon reviews are so important to a struggling scribbler. I always make every effort to reply to readers who are kind enough to reach out to me and let me know their thoughts.

I cannot stress how much I enjoy contact with readers.

Cap’n Joe: Where can readers go to find your book?

Karl Wiggins: You can buy my books here on Amazon: UK: http://amzn.to/1lgzVFQ & USA: http://amzn.to/RvsCS3

Cap’n Joe: Thank you Karl for perking  🙂 up my day by sharing this awesome interview with us all. It’s been a great pleasure getting to know more about you!

Kind Regards Cap’n Joe 

Cap’n Joe’s Interview with the “Flamboyant” James Loftus

Cap’n Joe: Can you tell my readers a little about your background nationality/ancestry?

James John Loftus:  Joe, I am very glad you asked me this question because I recently had my DNA analysed.  There was a mystery on my father’s side, there is one on my Mum’s too but I need another DNA test which I haven’t had yet to solve that one.  My Dad was born in Attymass County Mayo Ireland.  My Mum had Norwegian and Irish on her side, and as she was discussing it my Dad volunteered that he also had some Norwegian ancestry way back.  Unusual for an Irishman to have Norwegian, he unfolded that there is a place in Norway called Lofthus and that’s where our ancestor came from to Ireland.  My Dad was not a fanciful person and this was about the most colourful tale he told, brief as it was.  Loftus is a not rare name in Mayo but according to my Dad we are not related to the other Irish Loftus’s.  Still awake Joe?  I am sure you find this as fascinating as I do.  Anyway, DNA test results showed me to be in fact very Irish on my Dad’s side.  I am descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages a famous Irish king who invented the hamburger!  No he did not invent the hamburger but was a famous king and was a prolific breeder.  Many in western Ireland are his direct descendants.  How did one man have so many children?  There must be a cultural context there.  No doubt he was extremely handsome which runs in the family. My Mum’s dad was born in County Tipperary Ireland. My Grandmother was a mix of Scottish, (perhaps), some mystery there, nad Irish and Norwegian. As I said DNA test. I know you told me prior to the interview not to talk a glass-eye to sleep, well, Joe, to some people that is a challenge. Still awake glass-eye?

Cap’n Joe: When you finished your debut novel, how did you feel?

James John Loftus:  Satisfied.  Scared.  I wondered if it was any good at all.  I remember I got two, scathing reviews, One out of Five reviews on Goodreads in a row and felt very down and angry, one woman absolutely canned me and then proceeded in her review to say how great a writer she was, I checked out her poetry and can say honestly it should have come with a health warning, it was give-me-bucket-to-vomit- in, bad.  Then, low and behold I got a five and four star reviews from, two close friends, no just joking, honest reviews from readers.   When you get a five and of five it is tremendously pleasing!  Listening out there readers?  Potential reviewers?

I write because I enjoy it so if I finished something – I also write film scripts and have had some success, earned some dough – I am deep into something else. For me, writing is like reading engaging with a great story wondering what is going to happen, feeling the action.  Part of your brain is in a world disjointed from your normal day-to-day brain and to re-read your stuff is like seeing it for the first time.  Stephen King said writing is a form of self-hypnosis and I think he is right.

Cap’n Joe: While writing, did you need help with punctuation, grammar, etc., if so where did you turn?

James John Loftus: An editor. Where else?  My editor Tim Scurr is an English genius.  I admire his comprehensive knowledge of and gift in English.  I have always struggled a bit with grammar.  I did not learn to read until I was in grade Five, diagnosed with dyslexia.  But I did eventually learn to read and absolutely loved it, a whole new world, worlds, opened for me.  And, very early in my reading life I began to write my own stories.  

Cap’n Joe: With the number of hours spent writing, did your family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them?

James John Loftus: From time to time.  But seriously they were probably glad to be rid of me for a bit.  When you have a wife, and friends, and kids, sometimes the writing has to be done in the early hours when everyone is asleep because your loved-ones need you too.  But so does the book so you stay up and write after everyone is asleep.

Cap’n Joe: Did writing your first novel benefit you in any way and if so, how?

James John Loftus:  I earned some money.  Not too much but enough to make me feel like a semi-professional which gives the ego a boost and makes you feel you’re on the right track.  If people buy your books they can’t be that bad!  And, I have a novel I have written to hold in my hand and to read and think, how great is this!  Very, great, believe me!

Cap’n Joe: When you were writing your book, did you shut-off from family and all social networks?

James John Loftus:  A little.  I am not the most social of people anyway, used to be when I was young.  I like doing family things now, walks, driving in the country, dagga stuff like that.  My family are my favourite people in the world, they are my world!  I do catch up with a mate now and again and have a beer but not too often.

Cap’n Joe: Did you use friends or family members as Beta readers for your debut novel, if so who?

James John Loftus: I tried, but my family and friends aren’t into the kind of book I’ve written, a historical/supernatural novel set in Scotland.  I should of said it was an unpublished Stephen King novel I got off the internet and they would of thought it was great.

Cap’n Joe: What do you do when you aren’t writing? Do you have any hobbies?

James John Loftus: No, writing is it.  I go to the gym two days a week, work on my chin-ups and push-ups.  I do a bit of boxing training with a mate.  As a teenager I was a boxer which explains why I look the way I do, please Joe don’t show any photos!  And as for unusual behaviour don’t talk about the goat tied up the back yard.  We agreed not to discuss that.

Cap’n Joe: Where can readers go to find your book?

James John Loftus:  Easily found on Amazon and other sales channels.  I will attach a link to the Amazon site: http://tinyurl.com/CelticBloodPB

Cap’n Joe: Thank you James for taking time out from your busy day to answer my questions. I’ve enjoyed getting to know a lot more about you. It’s a pleasure having you join my blog. I wish you the very best with your book and any you publish in the future.

Cap’n Joe’s Interview with Karynne Summars

Cap’n Joe: Can you tell my readers a little about your background nationality/ancestry?

Karynne:  I was born and raised in Berlin, Germany and eventually moved to the U.S. The first four years I lived in Honolulu, Hawaii, not the typical United States I had known from visits to New York, though. Before coming to the U.S. I had started a banking career in Berlin. I had been selected for a management training position by my employer but after I got married to a U.S. citizen we moved to the States and I had to practically start over again career wise. Long story short,  after Honolulu I ended up in New York and started to work for a major German financial institution as an international corporate finance professional. Fast forward to today, I am an author and became an Executive Film Producer after I met the independent filmmaker KeeranVaani Creations through the Author-of-the-Year competition on MARSocial. As an Executive Producer I can link my extensive finance and business background with my creative talent side. A perfect combination for me. It was one of those things that are meant to be.   

Cap’n Joe: When you finished your debut novel, how did you feel?

Karynne: Happy, relieved and a little sad at first having to let go of the characters. However, I knew that there would be a sequel because part one ends with a bit of a cliffhanger. Meanwhile I am also working on hopefully fulfilling my dream of Kataryna, Luca, Roberto and the other captivating characters coming to life in a DPIV movie. So they will be with me until death do us part!

Cap’n Joe: While writing, did you need help with punctuation, grammar, etc., if so where do you turn?

Karynne: I used a dictionary of course and the spelling/grammar tool. I knew that after I was done with various rounds of editing and reediting, I would send the manuscript to a professional editor. Although that turned out different than I thought as you will find out later on in this interview.

Cap’n Joe: With the number of hours spent writing, did your family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them?

Karynne: In my corporate finance job, I was often away on business trips, so no one complained about my writing from home, at least not officially, and it wouldn’t have mattered because I was on a mission and had made that very clear. I just had to make sure I didn’t tune out too much. I knew that I was walking a thin line when I realized that sometimes I preferred to “be” with my characters creating their situations rather than in my real life. I often ended phone calls with “I am sorry but I have to get back to my guys now.”

Cap’n Joe: Did writing your first novel benefit you in any way and if so, how?

Karynne: It made me realize that I had suppressed my creative talent for a long time and I was happy that I did something I was really passionate about. I think I also changed somewhat as a person and sometimes I forgot to eat during the day because I didn’t want to interrupt the creative flow.

Cap’n Joe: When you were writing your book, did you shut-off from family and all social networks?

Karynne: Yes, pretty much but I was writing mostly at night because I was still in my finance job when I started to write. That was an interesting situation. While I was talking to clients about complex financial transactions, sometimes my DPIV characters demanded attention and I found myself developing new twist and turns for them. I couldn’t wait to get home and continue the story. That’s when I realized that my creative side was winning and my life, as I knew it, was over. I decided not to fight it but go with it and haven’t regretted it since. As a matter of fact, I often think I should have done this much earlier.

Cap’n Joe: Did you use friends or family members as Beta readers for your debut novel, if so who?

Karynne: I only let my sister read it while I was writing. I was very protective of the content. After I was finished I sent it to a professional editor and made him sign a non-disclosure agreement. Then I gave it to two friends, a married couple, who were proofreaders at one time. They found a lot of stuff the editor had missed. I think he got involved in the story too much and wasn’t detached properly as he should have been. He asked me to let him know when the sequel is out in case he didn’t get to edit it. On one hand that can be a compliment for the story but since I paid a good amount of money for this service, I wasn’t amused especially since it also delayed the publishing and added costs to the process.

Cap’n Joe: What do you do when you aren’t writing? Do you have any hobbies?

Karynne: It’s been quite a while that I had time just for myself. I am moving around a lot since I also have residences in Berlin and Marbella. Then there are certain cultural events I attend on a regular basis, one of which also serves as a reunion with friends from all over the world and that takes place in Bregenz, Austria. I also like to go out to see movies, plays, music performances, tennis championships and try out new restaurants.

Cap’n Joe: Where can readers go to find your book?

Karynne: Amazon, iBookstore, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Amazon Global link http://myBook.to/DPIV_KS

Cap’n Joe: Thank you Karynne for taking time out from your busy day to answer my questions. I’ve enjoyed getting to know a lot more about you. It’s a pleasure having you join my blog. I wish you the very best with your book and any you publish in the future.

Karynne: Thank you. All the best with your books, too.  

 

Cap’n Joe’s Interview about Andy’s “AWESOME” Story

Cap’n Joe: Can you tell my readers a little about your background nationality/ancestry?

Andy: Originally from Swansea, Wales, UK, I am an innovative, chartered professional in the oil & gas industries. I have in-depth knowledge of LNG Plants, upstream and downstream oil & gas facilities, storage tanks, cross country, desert and subsea pipelines and my story explains events in over 24 countries, some of which I shouldn’t have survived. Who’d believe one person has been ambushed, shot at, escaped a murder attempt in Kazakhstan, had cholera, fled Venezuelan rioters, hid in the bottom of a taxi in the middle of thousands of Hugo Javis protesters in Caracas, had voodoo done to me twice and survived a medical emergency evacuation from Nigeria? 

Cap’n Joe: When you finished your debut novel, how did you feel?

Andy: I guess a form of relief would be my first thought. I’ve had so much going on in my life, which nobody could ever have imagined, possible; it was a relief to finally share my thoughts, experiences and emotions. I included photos as nobody would have believed some of my stories without the proof that certain events actually took place. My laptop, camera and wallet were stollen in Ghana, so I lost a great deal of photos which I wanted to include in my book.

So many people aren’t expected to believe in voodoo for example, so I included the photos of one of the ceremonies done in my house in the Caribbean, in my book and also website. I felt sorry for the chicken, but surprised that when they removed its head, there wasn’t a single drop of blood. It was as if it was a dry chicken? I also included photos of the guilty that tried to murder me, leaving me with a deep head scar, and the results from the voodoo done to me after having a ten hour life saving operation.

Cap’n Joe: While writing, did you need help with punctuation, grammar, etc., if so where did you turn?

Andy: That’s a sore point. I paid my original publisher in America £3,500.00 pounds to do a professional editorial proof read guaranteeing 97% accuracy according to the Oxford English rules. When I received my manuscript back, it was in a form of English new to me. In fact, throughout my entire manuscript, paragraphs no longer made an ounce of sense causing me to re-write the entire manuscript. Contrary to what was promised, they refused to publish under my own name and insisted that I use a pen name. They also refused to publish any photos, including photos of myself telling me I needed permission from the person who took the photo using my own camera? I found out later that they’d sent my manuscript to the Philippines to be done.

I decided to go to the added expense and republish through Friesen Press in Canada. Friesen Press were a wonderful publisher to deal with and they published my manuscript under my own name and included all the photographs of my life in 24 countries. Problem was that my manuscript still contained the terrible English grammar and hundreds of spelling mistakes, so I have now corrected all I could find doing it on my Mac screen and my new book will be ready in June 2014 with an increased page count of approximately 450 pages.

Cap’n Joe: With the number of hours spent writing, did your family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them?

Andy: No, my family members had never seen me so quiet and they enjoyed the peace and tranquility. Even my Mac’s keyboard was quiet. Sometimes they’d hear me laugh as I remembered something to include, or cry when I needed to remember events I’d tried so desperately to forget. When I explained about adding an event, which included an operation on my ‘mans best friend’, in Kuala Lumpur, they were shocked and said, “you’re not going to tell people about that are you?” I was also advised not to include certain exploits with the ladies I’d met in China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Africa, Venezuela and a host of other countries.

My mother claims that her son is living proof that sh*t happens!

My mother had retained all the letters I’d posted home before PCs were invented so they were fresh recollections to include in my manuscript.

Cap’n Joe: Did writing your first novel benefit you in any way and if so, how?

Andy: Yes, it benefitted me by keeping me quiet, keeping me home, and keeping me out of trouble!

Cap’n Joe: When you were writing your book, did you shut-off from family and all social networks?

Andy: No. Someone had to make the coffee, cook and turn the TV volume down a little. Actually, most of my book was written on an iPhone down the local pub! Beer is very inspiring and iCloud is a wonderful aid for writers. I was able to use the same file whether I was using my iPhone, iPad or back home on my Mac.

Cap’n Joe: Did you use friends or family members as Beta readers for your debut novel, if so who?

Andy: Yes, my mother is a very fast reader and she would go through my manuscript pointing out mistakes like times, dates place names etc. She also advised to keep it sex free as she knew only too well some of my sexploits around the world and the fact that I’d married three times. Even I was surprised to wake up one morning in Indonesia with twelve girls in my room. I still have the photo which I emailed back home much to the astonishment of my mother! J

Cap’n Joe: What do you do when you aren’t writing? Do you have any hobbies?

Andy: Yes, Vimeo, Flickr, Twitter, Slideshare, LinkedIn, Youtube, Google+, Facebook, Instagram and correcting my manuscript and eh, oh fishing J

Cap’n Joe: Where can readers go to find your book?

Andy: Website http://www.andys-story.co has most of the links to Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Good Kindles, FriesenPress, Ingrams etc. Otherwise, readers can search on “Andy’s Story – Too much for a lifetime”. Website also contains the screenplay for a two hour Hollywood movie, TV interviews etc.

Cap’n Joe: Thank you Andy for taking time out from your busy day to answer my questions. I’ve enjoyed getting to know a lot more about you. It’s a pleasure having you join my blog. I wish you the very best with your book and any you publish in the future

All the very best Joe, keep up the amazing support and I hope to meet you for a few Singha Beers in BKK when I’m next in town.

Cap’n Joe’s Interview with Anabelle Bryant

Cap’n Joe: Can you tell my readers a little about your background nationality/ancestry? 

Anabelle: I was born to read and forever in trouble for having my nose in a book. 

Cap’n Joe: When you finished your debut novel, how did you feel?

Anabelle: Exhilarated and petrified at the same time. Now I had to send my work out into the world.

Cap’n Joe: While writing, did you need help with punctuation, grammar, etc., if so where did you turn?

Anabelle: Not me, I’m a teacher by vocation, and author during vacation. The mechanics are a breeze.

Cap’n Joe: With the number of hours spent writing, did your family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them?

Anabelle: I’m sorry I can’t hear your question over all the whining in the background here. 

Cap’n Joe: Did writing your first novel benefit you in any way and if so, how?

Anabelle:  It was the ultimate validation that I could, indeed, write a novel.   I have great gratitude for anything else that happens.

Cap’n Joe: When you were writing your book, did you shut-off from family and all social networks?

Anabelle:  If I had flown to the moon to do my writing, someone would have been waiting in a crater.  There was no escaping the world.

Cap’n Joe: Did you use friends or family members as Beta readers for your debut novel, if so who?

Anabelle: No. Nobody’s a betta’ reader than me. 😉 

Cap’n Joe: What do you do when you aren’t writing? Do you have any hobbies?

Anabelle: I run. It clears my mind, helps me organize my thoughts, and keeps me healthy. I also take photographs of everything. If you visit my Facebook page, you’ll see many.

Cap’n Joe: Where can readers go to find your book?

Anabelle: To Love A Wicked Scoundrel is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and any other platform for digital books. You can buy it HERE: http://goo.gl/jRvaRS

Cap’n Joe: Thank you Anabelle for taking time out from your busy day to answer my questions. I’ve enjoyed getting to know a lot more about you. It’s a pleasure having you join my blog. I wish you the very best with your book and any you publish in the future.