GOOD WEDNESDAY ALL

Good morning all today we have a special guest on the blog .

Welcome to the blog Stephen , glad you could make it today
Stephen . thanks for having me


1. Tell us a little about yourself

I am an author and filmmaker currently residing in Lexington, Kentucky.  I also found Imaginarium Convention, which is a convention entirely themed about creative writing that takes place annually in Louisville, Kentucky, now in its fourth year.  I keep very busy between writing, working with Seventh Star Press, the convention, and projects such as Rayden Valkyrie: Saga of a Lionheart.  I have a passion for history, I love music, guitar, martial arts, traveling, and movies, though I have to admit free time has been scarcer this past year!

2, What are your books about

My books address a number of themes, and sometimes a certain genre is more effective than another in exploring a given theme, but overall I would have to say that my books tend to encourage self-empowerment and self-determination.  I love my characters who are able to stand on their own, apart from the crowd, and do what is right in a given circumstance without worrying about what peers or greater society thinks. This is why I'm very connected to the Rayden Valkyrie character, as she is a force of nature in this regard.  I think readers will recognize these kinds of themes in all my work,
whether the cross-genre Rising Dawn Saga, the epic fantasy Fires in Eden Series, my Hellscapes
collections, the Rayden Valkyrie books, my steampunk Harvey and Solomon tales, or my upcoming YA novels.

3 When did you know you wanted to be a writer

I had determined by late high school that I wanted to pursue my writing, though I had a passion for storytelling since the age of seven after my mother had read the Lord of the Rings novels to me.

4 When you wrote your books did you see them as a movie or tv show ,

When I write, I really immerse into an interior vision of the story and world involved, and then translate that into words.  So, for me, it is already cinematic in a way.  I can see any one of my books being on screen for sure, as I've already seen them visually in my own mind's eye.

5 What is the worst part of the writing game . the publishing and promoting or sitting down and writing and editing .

Without question, it is the publishing and promoting.  The book market is extremely difficult at the moment, and effective ways to promote, and effective tools for promotion, are changing all the time.  It takes a lot of work for a writer to raise awareness in this oversaturated market. Writing is definitely an intensive process, but it is also very enjoyable too.

6 What do authors like yourself like to read when not writing .

I enjoy a lot of different kinds of writers, such as Robert E. Howard, Clive Barker, David Gemmell (very underappreciated, in my opinion), Glen Cook, Guy Gavriel Kay, C.S. Friedman, R.A. Salvatore, Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin, and many others.

7 Which author and or book influenced you the most

Definitely J.R.R. Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Hobbit, and C.S. Lewis' Chronicles Definitely J.R.R. Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Hobbit, and C.S. Lewis' Chronicles

8 Do you write every day and do you have any rituals when it comes to writing .

Under normal circumstances I do write every day.  I have a computer in another room from my office

that is not hooked up to the internet and is completely dedicated to my writing.  I also listen to music
and music helps me focus in completely on writing when I have a session.

9 How many books will be in this series .

The Dark Sun Dawn books are a trilogy, though there will be lots of other Rayden Valkyrie tales to tell in the future!

10 Are you excited to be doing the pilot of your books for television . Also do the actors you picked represent the characters in the book.

I am extremely excited about the TV Pilot project and think we've got something very special with it. 
As far as the casting, only one character existed in book form entering this project, and that was
Rayden Valkyrie herself.  Sol Geirsdottir, who plays Rayden Valkyrie, gave a great performance on
screen and definitely had a look that matched up well with the character of the book.  I am confident
that her performance will resonate well with those in the audience who have read the books.  The rest
of the characters depicted in the TV Pilot are making their debuts, though many will be included in novels and short stories in the future.

Now for some rapid fire questions
TEA OR COFFEE
Tea

FAVOURITE JUNK FOOD

Pizza

FAVOURITE PLACE TO RELAX
Home, listening to music with a glass of bourbon, on couch or in bedroom.

FAVOURITE MUSIC

Hard rock/Heavy Metal

FAVOURITE MOVIE TO WATCH OVER AND OVER

Lord of the Rings trilogy.

11 what words of wisdom would you empart on up and coming writers

Write because you enjoy it and understand it is going to be a long and often frustrating process.  Grow a thick skin, and try to learn as much as you can about the entire publishing process.  Understand that past the creative side, it is a business, and has to be understood as such, especially with how difficult today's book market is.  Network, network, network; and in person networking is the most effective way to meet others and build solid relationships in this business.

and last but not least where can we stalk you at

http://www.facebook.com/stephenzimmer7

http://www.twitter.com/sgzimmer

http://www.stephenzimmer.com/

http://www.instagram.com/stephenzimmer7