Books to curl up with: GOOD WEDNESDAY ALL

Books to curl up with: 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 . t...

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

Books to curl up with: HELLO MONDAY

Books to curl up with: HELLO MONDAY: Hello Monday, hope your day is better then mine , 5 cups of coffee later and I can finally cope lol  Today we are going to review GRAND PASS...

HELLO MONDAY

Hello Monday, hope your day is better then mine , 5 cups of coffee later and I can finally cope lol  Today we are going to review GRAND PASSION by James Robinson.

                            BOOK BLURB 

James Robinson, one of the industry's finest writers (Squadron Supreme, Scarlet Witch, Starman), delivers the surprising, funny, violent, and sexy tale of romance that comics have been missing! James "Mac" McNamara's a cop. Mabel's a crook. They're two wayward souls, fated to fall in love at first sight... even as Mabel swears to kill him if it's the last thing she does. It's harlequin romance meets hard-boiled crime, as only Robinson and sensational artist Tom Feister can deliver!

                         MY REVIEW 

  Welcome to my other obsession graphic novels and how I love a great story that goes along with the great drawing . Grand Passion is the best of both worlds we have James McNamera who is a cop and then there is Mabel who is a crook. Who knew that they would fall in love even though Mabel says she is going to kill him . Its a romance and a crime novel all rolled up into one 

   This book has it all romance and gun fire . It is your typical noir piece where the good guy falls for the bad girl in this case  They have plenty of action and a lot of romance . The characters were ok they seemed a little flat some times and one sided . But over I did like them especially Mabel she was one that even though she was a crook she did still want to be with James a tough cop . Who has a gruff exterior but does have a heart of gold .  

    I did like this book but it just seemed a little bit off . The illustrations are a little bit one sided . The story will keep you interested there is plenty of gunfights and romance to keep you interested until the end . Over all I did like this graphic novel . Will look for more by this author . 

      

Books to curl up with: HAPPY WEDNESDAY ALL

Books to curl up with: HAPPY WEDNESDAY ALL:  Welcome to Wednesday all , hope your week is going great . Today we are going to review THE LIST  by Shannon Walters.                    ...

HAPPY WEDNESDAY ALL

 Welcome to Wednesday all , hope your week is going great . Today we are going to review THE LIST  by Shannon Walters.

                         BOOK BLURB 

     

When a zombie virus sweeps the planet and puts humanity in a chokehold, hope is the only thing keeping Sara alive. Hope that the people who matter most are still alive. Who made it? Who didn't? Can they be saved? Can they save her?

Sara has made a list of her loved ones... what became of them is unknown to her. One by one, she will discover their fates, as she works her way through... THE LIST.

                          MY REVIEW 

   this is a 4 1/2 star rating 

   

   Finally an apocalypse book from a woman survivor point of view .  Let me introduce you to Sara she has survived the death of her family and is trying to find out who is still alive that she cares about . The list is her way of coping and getting to the people she loves . 

   This was a nice refreshing switch up to the zombie story . The lead character Sara is a woman who is overcoming everything . What would you do if you lost everything including your family . Would you fight or would you end it all . Sara has that decision to make, you see her as a strong character that is basically at her wits end but she is stronger then she thinks she is. You see her go through hell with her family and then trying to get to the people on her list . She meets groups of people as she travels . All trying to survive and doing what they can to stay safe.  She really grows through out the book and becomes more self reliant and stronger . 

       The author takes us on a rollercoaster ride with this book . In some ways it is very relatable what the main character is going through. You can actually picture yourself going through everything Sara is going through. You want to hug her and tell her everything will be alright but then you start cheering for her as she becomes a kick ass survivor . You want to pray that all the people on her list is alive just so they can bring a bit of happiness to Sara. 

  This was a fast read for me I started in the evening and finished the next day . I just couldn't put it down . I wanted to see if Sara and goose would get to where they are going. The only draw back I had was that the ending was abrupt, I wanted to know if she got to where they were going and if her friend would survive . That is the reason I took off half a star in my rating . Over all the book was fantastic and I can't wait to read more from this author . So if you want a apocalypse book with a strong female lead  check out THE LIST by Shannon walters 

Books to curl up with: Good Monday all

Books to curl up with: Good Monday all:    Good Monday all , hope you are ready for a fabulous week ahead . Today we are going to review SINS OF THE HEART  by Eve Silver .       ...