Kasper's Ramblings from Kasper Beaumont

G'day Aussie Fantasy Sci-Fi Network members. #FSFNet @K_CopeFunRead @Kia_Crystal @Ind1cated @Lawfabex

6/26/2015

Hey mates! We have uncovered 6 awesome Australian authors from the Fantasy Sci-Fi Network. Check out these talented beauties and their great writing.

Katrina R Cope

Kerry Hall and Kasper Beaumont

Kia Carrington-Russell and Kasper

LJ Clarkson

Leisl Kaberry

Katrina R Cope

Katrina is a quiet, bordering on shy, person until relaxed with the company or after a couple of her favourite reds (Yes, that is all it takes).

She resides in Queensland Australia and is a loyal friend once you pass the barrier. Her three teen/preteen boys and husband of over fifteen years treat her like a princess. Unfortunately though, this princess still has to do domestic chores.

She holds a 2nd Dan in Taekwondo, which she likes to incorporate the experience into her stories. When she has enough time away from her writing to commit to training, she will be going for her 3rd Dan.

From birth, she has been a very creative person and has spent many years travelling the world and observing many different personalities and cultures. Her favourite personalities have been the strange ones yet the ones under the radar also hold a place in her heart. During her last extensive travels, she spent 16 nights in a bomb shelter on a Kibbutz 8 kilometers off the Lebanese border. It was to avoid Katyusha bombs that the resident volunteers decided to name her after (she is still trying to work out why).

PS. Do NOT try to scare her in a dark alleyway even as a joke. Just saying!

Katrina has published four novels in the Sanctum series and is currently working on the Afterlife series.

http://katrenee11.wix.com/katrina-cope-author

Katrina Cope on Amazon.com

Kerry Hall

Kerry's love of life, literature and a deep hunger for learning, has been at the core of her being. Growing up in rural NSW and as a third generation writer, her childhood was surrounded by animals, fiction characters, stories and verse. Kerry's early career spanning thirty five years, plunged her deep into the humanistic side of the nursing field. From the late 1980's, she combined University studies with her clinical knowledge and together

Kerry Hall with Ken

they melded into a long and distinguished academic career. It was on those poor souls in her lectures, she finetuned her wicked nurses sense of humour. Early retirement however, saw Kerry return to her love and passion for the fiction novel. Not one for letting her mind stagnate, she soon discovered the Indie Author world and a new challenge emerged.

For the past few years Kerry has been beta reading, critically evaluating and substantive editing fiction novels of varied genres. It was only a matter of time then, she would embark on mentoring and writing her own fiction novel; one inspired by a dream. The Tales of Cerahya, Book one; Morphids will be completed and published in the latter half of 2015.It will be fast paced, action packed with love, life and liberty all at stake. Kerry resides in a quiet community in Tasmania, with the love of her life, husband Ken and their small fur baby that believes she is human. Their five children are all adults now. A country girl at heart; she treasures each and every day. Her only nemesis; 'The spider'.

Kia Carrington-Russell

Kia Carrington-Russell is a young fantasy, paranormal and romance author writing from her Australian home. Kia is supported by her helpful friends, family and readers. Most of all she is assisted by her Ying and Yang kitties, Isa and Forest, as well as her Cavoodle, Sia, who are always by her side as she busily types away in her office.
Kia completed her first manuscript, Possession Of My Soul: The Three Immortal Blades, when she was fifteen. After graduating from high school, Kia pursued freelance journalism.

After working for half a year within the sales section of the local paper, Kia realised journalism was not what she wanted to focus on.
Kia started her Precious Living website, which is a self-help blog publishing weekly affirmations. It was a way to express her enjoyment of photography as well as reaching out to readers who might not be feeling positive in their current lifestyles. She often published motivational stories, hoping to fill many with gratitude for what they had, instead of focusing on what they didn't.
In the year of 2014, Kia took her first manuscript seriously, and on May 15, Kia's first book was published. Since then Kia has continued writing and publishing many works from the Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, and Action genres. Kia has many more books planned for the future.
In 2015, Kia's self-publishing services and promotional services became live. She is now CEO of both Crystal Publishing and Crystal Book Promoters, which have been designed to help other authors at an affordable price. The mission is to guide writers through the perilous journey of self-publication.
Kia enjoys dancing, cooking, painting, manga, anime, eating (loves eating), reading, and is very competitive in all games, no matter what game.
Kia has now released 6 novels as paperback and ebook with plans for a further 2 publications in 2015.

Kia Carrington-Russel on Amazon.com

LJ Clarkson

LJ Clarkson has done many things in her time. Making mud pies as an Environmental Engineer. Bossing people around as a project manager. Reducing flood risk to residents affected by floods. But her all time favorite job is telling stories and making others laugh.

She counts the following as very special talents: singing out of tune, laughing at her own jokes, reciting useless, but very fascinating facts, and a magical habit of magnetizing food to her clothes. If she were a Mastermind, she’d uninvent early mornings, grammar, broccoli, cleaning and her dog’s fussy eating habits.

LJ is the author of the Mastermind Academy and Heaven and Hound series, and the brains behind Author Resources Database, a promotional site for authors.

Book titles: The Silver Strand (Book 1 in the Mastermind Academy series) and Heaven and Hound-Rise of the Alpha (Book 1 in the Heaven and Hound series).

We'll have a full interview with LJ Clarkson here on the blog next week.

LJClarkson on Amazon.com

Leisl Kaberry

My name is Leisl Kaberry and I am an Aussie living in Canada missing the summer heat and beaches of Australia but loving being able to snowboard in the winter… why can’t I just have it all?, the cake and the eating. I am a stay at home mum with four kids, a dog, two cats and a husband… so yep, I keep pretty busy. I am studying part-time a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, completely different to writing fantasy but I guess it just engages another part of my brain. I never wanted to be a writer when I was growing up, I was determined to be a theatre actor, I still do the bit of theatre from time to time which I enjoy but now I would much rather be writing… can never get it right!

See more of Leisl's interview at:
http://universe.suvudu.com/post/author-interview-leisl-kaberry#sthash.egWvKtlJ.dpuf

Leisl is the author of the Titanian Chronicles fantasy series. Her first book is available now and she is hard at work perfecting book 2.

Leisl Kaberry on Amazon.com

Kasper Beaumont

G’day folks, I’m Kasper Beaumont, a fantasy author from Australia and I’m looking forward to sharing my dragon tales with you. I’m a mild-mannered healthcare worker by trade and when I’m off duty, I turn into a creative fiend, pushing the boundaries of fantasy writing. I juggle writing, work and my three young cherubs and enjoying catching up with my writing group, family and friends. Living the dream.

An extract from Kasper's interview by Wendy Van Camp on Suvudu Universe blog
See more at:
http://universe.suvudu.com/post/author-interview-kasper-j-beaumont#sthash.P7eKBMfA.dpuf

Kasper has published 3 novels in the Hunters of Reloria trilogy and a short dragon battle story, 'The Tragedy of Garass & Asher;' all of which have received many 5 star reviews. Kasper is currently working on two short stories as collaborations with young fans: 'Sienna the Huntress' with 12 year old Kyla, and 'Fandri's Eventful First Kiss' with 13 year old Bailey.

Kasper Beaumont on Amazon.com

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3 Comments

More 5 star reviews for 'Garass & Asher' dragon battle #ASMSG #FSFNet #dragons

6/23/2015

Recommend for anyone who loves dragon stories/fantasy!!!
By Courtney J Tetreault

I loved this! Without giving anything away, a must read for the beginnings of Asher. This is great either as a standalone read or reading in conjunction with the Hunters of Reloria series. 5 stars

Insightful Background on Asher
By C. M. Lance

This prequel provides insight into Asher's beginnings.Heartbreak, betrayal, and loss have shaped his character. The results trail through his exploits. 5 stars

Great introduction!
By MorgaineLeFay90

“The Tragedy of Garass and Asher“ was the first story written by Kasper Beaumont I read and it made me anxious for more dragon stories. It doesn’t take long and you find yourself propelled into a beautiful imaginative world. This short story is a great introduction to the “Hunters of Reloria” books, offering all a reader can ask for: suspense, emotions and tragedy.I really enjoyed “The Tragedy of Garass and Asher” and will definitely return to Reloria! 5 stars

Conquering the Spanish market is Raymond Bolton's next goal. Read it here ... @RaymondBolton #FSFNet

6/9/2015

0 Comments

Raymond, I’ve just learned that you are having your debut novel, Awakening, translated into Spanish. Why is that?
There are numerous post online about the importance of getting one’s book translated into other languages. Spanish and German are the most important.
After averaging 4.8 stars on Amazon, almost 4.7 stars on Goodreads and receiving all 5 star reviews on Barnes & Noble, I was wondering why sales for Awakening, my epic fantasy, weren’t exploding. Then I learned that Amazon.com has 3.6 million English language titles, of which more than 458 thousand were published last year and more than 600 thousand new titles expected to be released in 2015 with more expected every year after.

I’m being buried.

Then, when I learned (1) next to Mandarin, Spanish is the most widely spoken language on the planet and (2) Amazon has only 93 thousand Spanish language titles and that (3) Game of Thrones and Twilight had recently been translated into this language—thereby indicating demand for the kind of book I write—I decided there might be a way out of my predicament.

Smart thinking.
How did you begin this process?

Initially, I thought I could let translation software handle the bulk of the work, then have a human translator tweak it. After buying the highest rated app on the market, I translated a chapter and sent the result to an editor friend who now teaches Spanish at an Indiana university. Even though I did not reveal what I had done, he got back right away saying, “Your translator isn’t telling you this was produced by translation software. Not only that, it isn’t even grammatical Spanish.”

I gather, then, you have hired a human translator. Is finding a qualified translator difficult?

Certainly, finding the right person takes a great deal of time and effort. But this is not the only obstacle. Getting a book translated into another language is anything but inexpensive. At just a few cents a word, the price quickly moves into thousands of dollars. At professional rates, Awakening’s 109 thousand words would require me to dish out a five figure fee and I don’t have that kind of money. You can imagine my delight, then, when a professional translation firm that wanted to move from business and legal work into literary translation expressed interest, offering to take a significant portion of their fee from the book’s royalties as an inducement. Naturally, I jumped at the chance. It was a game changer.

It sounds as if they approached you.

Not exactly. Actually, it was a case of serendipity. In the course of conversation with one of my clients—I am a high-end hairdresser who has many well-connected individuals in my chair every week—when I mentioned my sales dilemma and my desire to find a Spanish language translator, she told me she knew someone who might be qualified to handle the project. After she had contacted her friend, he got in touch with me right away. He did so because, after reading the book and appraising its reviews, he believed Awakening has the potential to become an international best-seller.

So you hired him.

Actually, I ended up hiring a team.

Really? Will you tell us about them?

I was counciled by several experts to ensure my translators were native speakers, educated at the university level, so I am pleased to describe what a stellar a team I’ve assembled. The director of the translation firm, which has offices in both Boston and San Juan, hails from Barcelona and has a PhD from Harvard University. And though he is certified to interpret in Federal court—a level of proficiency for which very few qualify—he did not feel he was the one best suited for the job. Instead, he chose to oversee the work of one of his editors, a published poet who resides in Puerto Rico. He gave her the assignment because he felt she could produce the most literary result.

Yet, despite even this pair’s amazing qualifications, they made some missteps early in the game. In the first chapter, when one of the characters exclaims, “What in the world have you been doing?” they translated it as, “What have you been doing in the world?” This is very different and it occurred because this figure of speech does not exist in Spanish. As a result, I’ve added a third member to the team: a native English speaker who is professor of Spanish at a college in New Mexico. My instinct was right. Because she is more sensitive to English language nuances and idioms than my primary translators could ever be, Awakening is receiving a world class translation. This also illustrates why an author should have at least a rudimentary understanding of the language in question. If I did not speak as much as I do, I would have missed that initial bobble and the end result would have been the poorer for it.

How do the characters in El Despertar differ from the those in Awakening?

Actually, the books are identical except for an issue or two that cropped up right away. Let’s see. How do I explain this without spoilers?

The first one involved a prophecy. In the English version, it was misunderstood because the accent of the character who related it caused the one to whom it was delivered to misunderstand what was said. As you well know, many English words can sound like other unrelated words. The problem here was that the corresponding words in Spanish could not be similarly confused. We solved this by renaming both a land and one of the characters.

The other issue evolved out of my sailing background. Awakening has several chapters set at sea on a sailing ship and I was not confident my translators could arrive at the appropriate Spanish terminology. For example, in English we call the controlling lines for sails “sheets.” I did not want them to end up sounding like bedding. Taking a sailboat to windward is called “beating.” I could only imagine what mistranslations that might cause.

Consequently, I went online and found several Spanish/English sailing glossaries. I located the appropriate terms and gave them to my team.

Does this begin to illustrate the kinds of problems a translation can pose?

So you are pleased with whom you’ve hired.

I’m beyond pleased. I am privy to all their emails, so when they spend time debating the advantages of such minor details as using Lo versus Le—two pronouns meaning him or to him—because one has a more literary quality while the other feels more dynamic, I know that I am blessed.

How excited are you to have your work translated? Congratulations!

Thank you. I can say, without reservation, I am beyond excited.

Regardless of whether this experiment succeeds as I would like, the ride has been exhilarating. While I believe incursions into relatively unexplored markets are the way to go, even if I fall flat on my face, the journey will have been worth it.

How are you enjoying the marketing of the series?

Now THIS is the fifty million dollar question.

My research is indicating that neither Iberian nor Latin American readers are as prone to shop online as are we Americans. Casa del Libro, Spain’s largest brick and mortar bookstore is still huge, such that Internet travel sites directing travellers to Spain list prominently hotels near every Casa del Libro location. Even so, in anticipation of Amazon’s incursion, Casa del Libro is putting up their own Internet sites with ebooks formatted for their preferred eReader, Tagus. I am currently working to get El Despertar listed.

I am also in the process of creating Spanish language Tweets and have several Spanish speaking friends who are looking for other ways I can create buzz.

I am also about to launch a Goodreads Giveaway, targeting readers in Mexico, all of Central and South America, as well as Spain itself.

Finally, El Despertar will be featured in the New Titles Showcase at the Guadalajara Book Fair which runs from November 28 through December 5, 2015. It is the world’s largest for Spanish language books and is attended annually by more than 20,000 Spanish language publishing professionals, as well as—get this—over 750,000 attendees from the general public! THAT’S what I call visibility.

It’s a bit daunting, but I am trying my best to rise to the challenge.

Thanks so much for chatting to us today, Raymond. We wish you all the best with your Ydron series.

Links to connect with Raymond and view his books

Website & blog: http://www.raymondbolton.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaymondBoltonAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7690905.Raymond_Bolton

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaymondBolton

Amazon.com:
http://amzn.to/1FVxgwU

Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thought-Gazer-Ydron-Saga-2/dp/0991347110/

Amazon AU:
http://www.amazon.com.au/Thought-Gazer-Ydron-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B00OP1HA7G/

Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/RaymondBolton

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+RaymondBoltonAuthor/

0 Comments

'Garass & Asher short story is beautifully handled ... crystal clear imagery' Readers Favorite #review #ASMSG

6/7/2015

0 Comments

Cover artwork by Mike Fertig and graphics by Troy Stoilkovski

'First, I love the cover. This is an author who took the time to find a great cover and get his work formatted beautifully. A reader really does notice when an author takes the extra steps and goes the extra mile to make the reading experience enjoyable. And I'm sure that the series itself is just as beautifully handled and shares the same in-depth writing style and crystal clear imagery that is exhibited here.
This is a skilled writer who is great at his craft.

Reviewed By Samantha Coville for Readers’ Favorite, 2015.

Thank you Readers' Favourite.
This is a short story prequel to the Hunters of Reloria series.
The Tragedy of Garass & Asher is available on Amazon.com

0 Comments

Raymond Bolton shares his new novel: Thought Gazer with us today. #FSFNet #fantasy @RaymondBolton

6/4/2015

1 Comment

Hey folks. Today I'm featuring fantasy author, Raymond Bolton on the blog. He is in an exciting phase of releasing a new novel and having his first novel translated. This is a 2-part interview, so please come back on Monday for the 2nd instalment about translating his Awakenings book.
Thought Gazer is Raymond's second epic fantasy tale, which continues on from Awakening.
Thought Gazer Synopsis:
Everyone who touches you transforms you, if only a little. But if you enter their minds, think what they have thought, in effect do what they have done, how complete will that transformation be?

If he had been born an ordinary man, his family would be safe—safe as anyone can be in a land torn apart by war. It is his singular gift, however, that causes his wife and children to be imprisoned and held hostage and him to be used as a tool. Caught up in a struggle between opposing warlords and refusing to play the game, Peniff elects to take the moral high road. This is the story of a man, in all other ways ordinary, rising above his fears to do what he must. Can he free his family before his betrayal comes to light? Moreover, what will he become before his journey is over?

BookViral.com has this to say about Thought Gazer: “Bolton... maintains the creative edge and distinctly satisfying thoroughness with which he originally imagined his far flung world. With an exceptional eye for detail and favouring narrative over dialogue his characters are imbued with insightfully nuanced characteristics that are both enthralling and plausible as his well-constructed plot evolves.”

* Publish date: 01-01-15

* Publisher: Regilius Publishing, LLC

* Extract from Thought Gazer

He could not discount the possibility there were others nearby, so he turned his attention to the immediate area and tried to determine how the quartet could have surprised her. Chawah would never have allowed them to approach under ordinary circumstances. His eyes went from signs of a scuffle left in the soil when they had captured her, to a rise not far from the origin of those marks. Its summit was a little higher than her head and was a likely spot for an ambush. Still, they could not have known in advance he would come to this place any more than he. So how had this occurred?

He was not about to investigate armed with only the spear, so he returned to where his first victim lie. He extricated his knife and wiped the blade on the man’s tunic before returning it to its sheath. Then, he picked up the discarded bow, slung it over his shoulder, and a moment later was standing atop the knoll. On its summit, footprints, handprints and grass flattened by what was surely a prostrate form told a partial story of someone who had climbed to the top, had fallen briefly onto his belly, then scrambled to his feet and jumped. That one, likely, had landed upon the animal to be joined in the clearing by three more, one of whom had followed the first, leaping down the face, while the other two ran down its side.

But what had brought them to this remote spot in the wilderness? That was still unclear. He scanned the surrounding area, looking for anything unusual. For a while, nothing appeared out of place. A flock of chur soared overhead and a few other birds winged from tree to tree in their morning quest for food. Grasses and brush moved softly in the gentle breeze. Then he spied, protruding above the vegetation, what appeared to be a portion of a wooden structure.

He paused to examine the bandage and was pleased to see it was not saturated. The blood was no longer flowing. If he were careful, it would hold until he could sew the wound.

He turned and called, “Chawah!”

She craned her head and met his eyes.

“Stay here,” he said. “I will be right back.”

Her eyes half blinked in acknowledgement and Bedistai, satisfied she understood, turned and scrambled down the opposite side of the mound. He made his way down the slope and through the underbrush until he neared the place where the curious object stood.
In this wild place, anything constructed by man was suspect and he could not be certain there were no other marauders. He listened for the sounds of conversation or careless movement, but at first detected nothing. Then, as he approached, he heard soft rhythmic noises he could not identify. He slowed his approach even more, listening carefully. The sounds repeated in a pattern he could not attribute to any

animal, but neither were they sounds of speech. A loud snort came from directly ahead, but it was separate from the utterings that had caught his attention. He drew his knife and peered through the brush. He saw several large hairy forms moving and heard the sound of hooves shifting stance. He circled to his right, keeping some distance between himself and whatever creatures they might be. Then, as he peered through the branches, he smiled. In a clearing stood an ox in harness and four horses saddled as steeds. The ox shifted and snorted as Bedistai emerged and the sound confirmed this was one of the noises he had heard. But now the puzzling murmuring which had drawn him here had grown clearer, coming from a place directly behind this great beast.

As he circled the ox, four wooden corner posts revealed the presence of a cart. Numerous smaller bars showed it to be a cage. Curious as to what it might contain, he approached. There, within the bars and resting on a bed of soggy straw, was a small wet pile of what appeared to be fine cloth. Well, “resting” was perhaps not the word, for the pile shifted and heaved in a pattern coinciding with the soft repetitions—too high in pitch to belong to any animal he knew. He stepped up to the cage, yet whatever was moving within the pile did not react to his presence. Carefully, he extended an arm through the bars, far enough to reach the mound of fabric. He grasped a fold between his fingers and tugged. At once, the pile rose up and he stepped back, pointing his knife. He found himself face to face with a woman whom, under other circumstances, he might consider beautiful. She was sobbing and trembling and, from her pallor, he could see she was deathly ill.

Author Interview with Raymond:

Hi Raymond, welcome to the blog:
What was the defining event that made you start writing?

It happened in my previous marriage. When my stepson declared he wanted to become a writer, it struck a chord and I realized I did too. In high school, I had placed second in a California State short story competition and, in college, an English professor had read loud to the class an essay I’d written citing originality of thought and writing style as his reasons for selecting it. Until that moment, I had forgotten both events, but they resurfaced and I realized how much confidence, let alone satisfaction, they had imparted.

What other writing have you done?

In addition to fantasy, I’ve written two thrillers which, for the time being, I’ve shelved. In the 1990s, I also wrote poetry and was awarded third place in a field of 1,200 in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association’s 2010 literary competition.

What made you choose this genre?

I grew up reading science fiction and fantasy, so when I began to write, it seemed only logical to start with what I knew best.

How did you go about developing your cover artwork?

I am fortunate to have found cover artist, Natasha Brown. She seems to have an intuitive understanding of what will suit my story and why. I provide her with various elements I would like to promote, and she provides images she believes will reflect them.
Since Thought Gazer is part of a series, certain elements carry through from Awakening’s initial cover—the first in the series. The partial head and eyes reflect that telepathy, the ability to look into the mind of another, is the dominant theme. The world the story is set in has two suns, so these are also included to emphasize that this story is not set on earth. Finally, castles reflect the world’s technological state of advancement, or lack thereof.

Which scene from your book do you like best and which is your favourite character and why?

There are two scenes I love, each featuring one my two favourite characters: Bedistai Alongquith, a hunter, and Peniff, the Thought Gazer. Both are men possessed with remarkable character and courage. The excerpt above concludes the scene involving Bedistai and an earlier paragraph I did not include reveals something more about him:

Bedistai, in fact, was not given to any form of excess. Even his appearance

belied his talents. Most hunters of his ilk wore the talons, fangs, quills and pelts of dozens of successful take-downs. His clothes, on the other hand, were of simple sandiath skin. Except for a solitary tooth suspended from a cord around his throat, he wore none of the ostentation of his calling. The significance of the tooth was that the creature who bore it, a beyaless cath’en, had killed all but one of a fully-armed hunting party numbering a dozen. Bedistai, the sole survivor of the attack, had managed to slay the cath’en. It had been his first hunt, and while the accomplishment had elevated him in the eyes of his peers to master hunter, the tooth served more as a reminder than as a boast.

This is an excerpt from the scene involving Peniff, who has been collared and leashed by his captors:

To say Harad was relentless is to understate the rage that drove him. He had pushed his party mercilessly until eventually, one of the horses, driven to exhaustion, fell and refused to rise. When Harad began flogging it, Peniff tore his leash from Kord’s grasp, strode up to Harad and grabbed him by the wrist, arresting the whip at the top of its arc. Harad turned to glare.

“You will kill it and still it will not rise.” In a soft, but deliberate tone, Peniff went on. “In fact, if you continue to deny the other horses rest or sleep, you will kill them all. Then what? Do you expect us to walk all the way to danHsar?”…

As the two stood staring, it was hard to say who was in charge: the one with the whip, or the one with the collar around his neck.

Do you have a blog?

I do, after a fashion. It’s called The Write Stuff. Every other Monday on my website, http://www.raymondbolton.com, I interview authors from various genres and from all over the world. While I often introduce debut authors, I’ve been privileged to have award-winning authors as well as NY Times, USA Today and Amazon.com best-sellers as my guests.

What’s your favourite line from a book?

“I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents.”
This is how John Steinbeck opens chapter five in East of Eden. He then describes infants born with three arms, with tails or with mouths in odd places before telling us some are born with misshapen souls and introduces the character named Cathy.

What is your favourite quote?

“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” ~ TS Eliot

What’s your dream job and do you think you’ll do it one day?

As is the case for most writers, I hope eventually to write full time. Until that occurs, I follow the Ashanti proverb, “Act as if you cannot fail.”

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?

For the last two and a half years business demands have put me on a plane every week. Fortunately, that came to an end last December and I have begun finding time for other pursuits like gardening and cooking. If I can free up a little more, I would like to resume practicing Tai Chi and playing the guitar. Both, however, require an hour or more every day for one to develop proficiency. And, of course, I would love to resume sailing and flying gliders, so I guess my books will really have to take off!

Where do you like to travel to?

I’d like to return to Greece one day. I love the island of Spetsis, home to Bouboulina, the real life Greek heroine who led the underground movement against the Nazis. It is also the place where John Fowles set his paranormal novel, The Magus. Then there’s Cephalonia, where Captain Corelli’s Mandolin was set. My wife and I inherited a house there we’ve never seen, in the town of Fiskardo, on the island’s northern tip.

What’s your experience of the Fantasy Sci-Fi Network?

Shortly before I released my debut novel, the epic fantasy, Awakening, I had the good fortune to meet the founder of the Fantasy Sci-Fi News Network, author Leeland Artra. I played a minor role in the Network’s kick-off. Through it, I’ve met a number of wonderful science fiction and fantasy authors, like yourself, Kaz. It is a great place for both authors and readers of these genres to connect.

Kasper: I agree with you there, Raymond. The network is a great place to hang out and I have made heaps of friends there.
Thanks you so much for dropping by today and sharing Thought Gazer with us. I'm looking forward to part 2 of our interview on Monday as well.

Links to connect with Raymond and view his books

Website & blog: http://www.raymondbolton.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaymondBoltonAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7690905.Raymond_Bolton

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaymondBolton

Amazon.com:
http://amzn.to/1FVxgwU

Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thought-Gazer-Ydron-Saga-2/dp/0991347110/

Amazon AU:
http://www.amazon.com.au/Thought-Gazer-Ydron-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B00OP1HA7G/

Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/RaymondBolton

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+RaymondBoltonAuthor/

1 Comment

G'day Aussie Fantasy Sci-Fi Network members. #FSFNet @K_CopeFunRead @Kia_Crystal @Ind1cated @Lawfabex

More 5 star reviews for 'Garass & Asher' dragon battle #ASMSG #FSFNet #dragons

Conquering the Spanish market is Raymond Bolton's next goal. Read it here ... @RaymondBolton #FSFNet

'Garass & Asher short story is beautifully handled ... crystal clear imagery' Readers Favorite #review #ASMSG

Raymond Bolton shares his new novel: Thought Gazer with us today. #FSFNet #fantasy @RaymondBolton

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Hunters of Reloria and Hidden Angel series