Toby Tate: An Introduction

Good morning Followers!

I know it's been a while, but with deadlines and working full time it's been hard keeping up. I decoded, before my hiatus, to begin to include content from my fellow authors for we are kindred spirits. Now, I've got to get this up quick because I am about to walk into work. So, without hesitation, I would like to introduce you lovely people to fellow author and talented man, Toby Tate!

As a new author with Permuted Press, I appreciate Kindra having me as a guest on her blog. Hopefully I can keep it interesting and readers won't drool on their keyboards, short them out and cause electrical fires that burn out of control, destroy entire neighborhoods, cities and eventually the world. So, in essence, I'm saving the world here.

But I digress.

The deal I signed with Permuted Press was for four books-three of those books are already written and one is in the works. They were all written in crayon, so I had to spend a lot of time getting them transposed. Luckily, I have since learned to use a keyboard, so it goes much more quickly now.

Three of those books are also part of a series, while one is not. None of them are about zombies, although the stand-alone does have some walking dead people, which I guess could be called zombies. I do like zombies, though I've never met one in person. If I did, I suppose I'd become a zombie myself and I wouldn't be writing this. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah.

The stand-alone book is called DIABLERO, unless Permuted changes it. It's a story about an ancient mythical being called the Death Defier who gains immortality by sapping the life-force from his victims. In my story, Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard the pirate, is possessed by the Death Defier sometime in the early 1700s.

Blackbeard eventually dies in battle, and for three centuries the spirit remains trapped in the pirate's barnacle-encrusted bones at the bottom of the sea-until someone brings Teach back to life, and the Death Defier along with him. The story follows a reporter, Hunter Singleton, and his wife Lisa, who band together with several others to try and stop the demon as he wreaks havoc on the East Coast.

Teach travels from North Carolina to Florida and the Caribbean searching for an ancient book that will unlock not only the secret to his immortality, but will also open a gateway to a dimension inhabited by dark, unholy creatures who once inhabited our world-and wish to do so again.

There's a lot of conflict as Hunter and Lisa are on the verge of divorce at the beginning of the book, and we watch as the human part of Edward Teach struggles against the demonic Death Defier.

So yeah, it's pretty light reading. This book will be released by Permuted Press in Sept. 2016.

My next book, a novella which I call THE LILITU, is about several members of a race of beings (there were many of them here before us, if you believe mythology) that are living in Australia. The heroine of this particular story is a CIA operative named Gabrielle Lincoln who is on vacation in OZ to visit her family when her father, a retired CIA guy, informs her of said creatures. She hunts them down and is subsequently captured, brainwashed and used for their own nefarious purposes (no, not sex!)

Much of the book takes place in the outback, with Gabrielle running for her life, fighting these superhuman beasts. It's loads of fun! This book will be my first release from Permuted press, due out in April, 2016.

Let me just stress the fact that these creatures are NOT vampires. Imagine an evil Superman and you'd be pretty close, except these beings can't fly. And if they get close to a strong radiation source, like enriched uranium, they turn into huge, fur-covered things with dagger-like teeth and nasty dispositions. This leads to the next book.

PRIMORDIAL, which I call a supernatural sci-fi thriller, begins on the island of Crete, where Lisa Singleton's young cousin is part of an archeological dig that finds a metal box buried on top of a mountain, with ancient symbols carved into the lid. But the box is also emitting high levels of radiation. Here's the synopsis I wrote for it, which I think is pretty good:

The container and its contents are sent to the university at Heraklion to be studied under controlled conditions-but before it can arrive, the vehicle and its three occupants, including the American university student, are forced off the road in a violent crash. The artifact is taken, the student kidnapped.

As Hunter and his wife, a CIA operative and a navy communications officer search for the artifact and the young woman that carried it, they discover that whatever is inside that box is an element as yet unknown to modern science, and more powerful and deadly than enriched uranium.

They face opposition at every turn, first by the Cretan police force, then by murderous creatures that seem to defy all the precepts of creation and evolution.

But whoever is behind the theft of the artifact and the kidnapping of the young woman is after more than money or power-he belongs to a race of beings older than mankind-the Lilitu. Now time is running out and he must be stopped before he can open a transdimensional gateway that will plunge the earth into an underworld of eternal darkness and torment, where the Lilitu and their gods reign supreme. This book will be released by Permuted press in May, 2016.

The last book, which I call THE CAIN PROPHECY, will be the end of the trilogy that began with my novel, LILITH, which was published in 2012. It will be released by Permuted Press in June, 2016.

You don't need to read LILITH to know what's going on. There's a lot of back story that will fill you in. So LILITH, THE LILITU, PRIMORDIAL and THE CAIN PROPHECY are all part of the same story. I hope you enjoy them and DIABLERO as much as I did writing them.

For more info on me and my books check out my website at www.tobytatestories.com , and also find me on Facebook and Twitter.  

In Depth Interview with author Briar Lee Mitchell

Good evening Followers!

I am here tonight because just recently I had done an interview with the author of Permuted Press release "Big Ass Shark!" If you all are wondering on my stance on shark horror, I believe there just isn't enough of it to fulfill my craving and "Deep Blue Sea" can only take care of so much on its own, and you can only watch "Jaws" so many times. Anyone who really wants some great shark horror needs, and I mean NEEDS to check out this book. Here is a brief glimpse into her work:

MISTY WITLOW, an aspiring actress, heads to the beach near Los Angeles to enjoy the sun and videotape a greeting to send home to her mother. An enormous shark, pale white in color, surfaces in a deep channel near her. The massive beast, larger than a schoolbus, glides past and rams the rocky outcropping she is standing on.

 Tossed to the ground, she stares directly into a widening maw big enough to swallow a car.

 Terrorized, she scrambles back, away from the exposed jaws containing rows and rows of teeth bigger than her hand. Her camera continued to roll, recording the fish, as its jaws clamped down hard enough on the rocks to shake the ground under her, and, knock one of its teeth loose.

 She is the sole witness to a killing machine thought to have been extinct for millions of years - the Charcarocles Megalodon. Misty has proof of the encounter though, in her camera, and a tooth the shark lost when it hit the rock.

 Misty raises the alarm, however, getting people to believe her is a tough call. The shark has taken to deeper waters again, however, sticks close enough to the shore that it sinks ships and causes a number of deaths. So far, she is the only one who has seen it – the only one living that is.

 She finally convinces Park Ranger BARRY FITZSIMMONS who takes her to his friend, DR. LAWRENCE MC GILL, a marine biologist who nicknames the shark 'Ghostie' because of her odd pale coloring. He believes her and decides he must go in search of this amazing, living fossil from the past.

 The hunt for Ghostie is on - a race between the well-meaning, but under equipped scientists, an unscrupulous reporter, and big game hunters determined to bag the biggest prize of all.

Here is the interview below. I learned so much about her from what I was given and the information she shared about herself. I hope you guys learn just as much, and keep up the good work Briar!

Where are you from?

St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

My family and I moved to the US in the 60’s, and, I became an American citizen in 95, however, I have lived in 4 countries (certainly call the US home). Canada, United States, Bahamas, Mexico. I have been an artist and writer for 40 years, and have worked for Warner Bros., Johns Hopkins (I have a Master’s Degree in Medical and Biological Illustration).

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Loved making up stories when I was a kid. It was not until I was in my 30’s that I really wanted to explore actually writing novels and screenplays.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I was in New Zealand, with the Air Force. We were stationed there flying missions back and forth to McMurdo in Antarctica.  I am a civilian, and, travel with the Air Force to do research for paintings I create for the National Archives (I embedded a copy of the painting I did for this trip in the doc). James Cameron was also with us (this was just a couple of months before he made his dives on the Titanic). He and I were the only civilians traveling with this crew to McMurdo. We were on a boat in the middle of Cook Strait sailing from the south to the north island to go horseback riding for the day. I cornered Jim (LOL!!) and told him I always wanted to write. He cut me off, told me to write something then, and he would have someone read it. When we landed on the other side of the Strait, we stayed for a short time at this really odd looking hotel, high up on a bluff overlooking the strait. It was creepy/weird/fascinating and had been added on to many times over the 100 plus years it had been there. Some of the rooms were lower than others, and connected by these weird little hallways that only one person could travel through. Anyone with claustrophobia would steer clear of it. Anyway, the hotel seemed so gothic/weird that I used it as the backdrop for a novel I wrote called “Apparitions”, about a haunted hotel. Permuted Press recently purchased that from me, along with the sequel (Graymont), and those will be coming out later. However, to finish out my story, yes, Jim was true to his word. I wrote the novel in 3 weeks, sent it to him, and he had one of his producers read it. She wrote notes all over the pages, and clearly had read the entire book. On the final page she encouraged me to keep writing. So, I did!

How did you come up with the title?

The book I currently have out with Permuted Press is called “Big Ass Shark”. The original title of the book was “Ghostie” which is the nickname given to the HUGE shark in the story because she is a very pale color. The publishers at Permuted thought my title was a bit too paranormal and asked me to send over some other ideas. I sent a list of 10 new titles, including the Big Ass one. That one I thought was more of a joke, however, they liked the tongue-in-cheek quality, especially since they planned to release it 6 weeks before Sharknado 2 and Shark Week come out. Wacky title, however, I like it.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

The main character is confronted with having seen this HUGE shark, and then, having to go through some extraordinary steps to convince others she saw it, and, to help save people from becoming it’s lunch.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

No message…just a fast paced, fun romp in the ocean with SHARKS!!

What genre are your books?

Action/adventure/horror and some have paranormal aspects to them

What draws you to this genre?

Always loved to be scared and drawn into stories when I was a kid. I love the rollercoaster ride.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Two writers:  Stephen King and Chelsea Cain

What are your current projects?

These have all been acquired by Permuted:  The Whistlebrass Mysteries  - http://briarle2.wix.com/whistlebrass, Dead Life - http://briarle2.wix.com/lights, Frozen - http://briarle2.wix.com/frozen, Spires (and it’s sequels) - http://briarle2.wix.com/spires, Apparitions and it’s sequel Graymont (both ghost stories).

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Yes. I would have made it longer.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Just the usual things that plague authors…getting stuck here and there, and, sometimes getting tired out after going through bursts of writing.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Stephen King – He can write about multiple characters, and, I can keep track of all of them without needing notes or reminders. He has a wonderful talent for carving out unique, memorable characters.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Do not pine away, WANTING to write. If you want to write, then get busy.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I love to hear from my readers!!

How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Visit my site, please!  www.briarmitchell.com  

Here is my twitter handle:  @pinkyblee

R.M. Willis: An Introduction to the Big 5

Good evening Followers!

I know it is late, but in the interest of waiting for my sheets to dry I figured I would take the time and go ahead and do a little feature with a dear friend. We speak quite a lot and I have encouraged him to continue writing and submitting to publishers, knowing one of them will bite. I even encouraged him to submit his work to my own publisher, Permuted Press! I am hoping he hears from them soon and has good news to share.

So, I am handing over the blog tonight to good friend and fellow writer R.M Willis with his discussion on the BIG 5!

Civilizations Big 5

I work with teenagers, and like all youth they often have questions that the average adult citizen is too busy to consider. The other day a young man asked me what made civilization possible. It got me thinking. There are many potential answers to this question; religion, law, money. All certainly led to the growth of mankind, but I wanted to go deeper. I wanted to get at the very roots of what created civilization, what we needed to move past the animal stage. I came up with five things. Five things, that without which man would have been surpassed by some other higher life form to dominate our globe. Five things which gave birth to civilization itself, the first one of course is fire.

Fire being a contributor to civilization is almost a no brainer. It provided us with light, heat, and a place to congregate at night and begin our oral history. Fire means protection, and the ability to cook our food. Fire became the forge, gave birth to trains, led to rockets, and made s’mores possible.

After fire the second most important invention to civilization was the cup. The ability to contain water and take it with you allowed mankind to venture out away from lakes and rivers. It made us mobile and gave us the opportunity to settle and exploit parts of the world that were never before possible.

Third is the ever important hammer. Why a hammer you might ask. Well that’s easy. The hammer is the first real tool. Without a hammer we couldn’t have made weapons, or other tools. In essence is gave us the ability to create, and to build. It allowed us the opportunity to live outside of caves, and even became a song! Ahh, if I only had a hammer.

Fourth is another no brainer, the wheel. The wheel made it easy to move heavy things long distances. It allowed us to travel quickly, and with a few modifications became the cogs in our machinery. The wheel as far as inventions go is almost the most important one off all to the actual birth and nurturing of civilization as we know it. There is however one more that I think we must address. One so vitally important that without out it we may have died off years ago, never to move past the infinitesimal stages of civilization that the other four allowed to happen. I’m speaking of course of written language.

The ability to record and communicate accurately over space and time was the true birth of civilization. There is no person more powerful in history then the author who stares at a blank page. Why? Because history itself would be unknown without it. We couldn’t learn, grow, or share ideas, and we certainly couldn’t record them down for future generations. The written word is what gave rise to the mass population that rules the world and now ventures forth into space. Nothing past the first four inventions would have been possible without it.

So that’s it. There is my answer. When I shared it with the 15 year old young man who asked me the question he smiled and thanked me. Since then he’s thought about it and we’ve had many philosophical discussions about life and its meaning, and that my friends is a good thing.

Announcement!

Hello Followers!

I am excited to say that release dates have arrived! I am going to announce the first two here today! I hope you guys are as excited as I am!

The stand alone title "The Harvested' will makee it's appearance May 12, 2015!

The first of the Executoner Trilogy "Follow the Ashes" will make it's debut on September 22, 2015!

The closer it gets to the release of "Follow the Ashes" I will announce the other release date for the last two (possibly) books. Who knows?  I may just write tons more!