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Stephen H. Provost is an author of paranormal adventures and historical non-fiction. “Memortality” is his debut novel on Pace Press, set for release Feb. 1, 2017.
An editor and columnist with more than 30 years of experience as a journalist, he has written on subjects as diverse as history, religion, politics and language and has served as an editor for fiction and non-fiction projects. His book “Fresno Growing Up,” a history of Fresno, California, during the postwar years, is available on Craven Street Books. His next non-fiction work, “Highway 99: The History of California’s Main Street,” is scheduled for release in June.
For the past two years, the editor has served as managing editor for an award-winning weekly, The Cambrian, and is also a columnist for The Tribune in San Luis Obispo.
He lives on the California coast with his wife, stepson and cats Tyrion Fluffybutt and Allie Twinkletail.
Filtering by Category: Dark Fantasy
I’ve done a number of interviews with various authors over the past few years, all via written questionnaires that they returned to me by email. On the occasion of my 50th book being released, I decided to fill one of those questionnaires out myself. I’m very excited to talk about Crimson Scourge: Rise of the Fourth Horseman, which marks my return to writing fiction after a three-year hiatus.
Read MoreL.F. Falconer is the author of nearly a dozen titles, all of which are available on Amazon. Her works include three books in her Legacy of Skur series, described by Blue Ink Review as “an intriguing and well-crafted fantasy of epic proportions.” The author lives in Fallon, Nevada, one of the cities featured in my own book, America’s Loneliest Road. I’m happy to have her here for this interview on The Open Book, discussing her latest novella, The Star Catcher.
Read MoreJade Griffin is the author of the two-book series The Journals of Lacy Anderson Moore, 19th-century tomboy driven by an insatiable need to hunt and kill the evils of the world, including vampires and the undead. (A third book is on the way.)
Jade was first inspired to write after reading her first Anne McCaffrey book at the age of 15, and her continuing inspirations include children, cats, dinosaurs, Cub Scouts, and other authors and illustrators.
She is the Illustrator Coordinator for SCBWI Nevada; author/illustrator for the long-running fairytale-superhero webcomic 56 SHARDS; and author/illustrator of “Author Ity” in the Nevada SCBWI’s WriteRiders newsletter. She’s also completing the design work, art, and written material for the National Automobile Museum’s Lego Build-It Display.
The tabletop roleplaying game Call of Cthulhu© Chaosium inspired her to explore the world of Lovecraftian horror. The first in a series of ttrpgs, Taken For Granite, is on drivethrurpg.com. The Lacy Moore journals not only marks her debut into horror, it is a companion to her ttrpg series and therefore both a player handout and a minor mythos tome.
Jade recently sat down with The Open Book to discuss her writing, and her latest work.
Jade can be found on her website, jadegriffinauthor.com.
She’s active on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JadeGriffinAuthor/.
You can find her on Twitter at @JGAuthorIty
Who are you? Jade Griffin, 47, Medical Records coordinator
Where and with whom do you live? I live in Sparks, NV with my husband, two kids, and an array of phylum Animalia.
If you could co-write a book with any author, living or dead, whom would you choose? Cat Bowser, my internet sister, my bycan sisco. Been round robin-writing with her collaborating on various fanfictions for years now.
Why do you write? The ideas and people and places are there and I want to share them.
Where do you write? Wherever and whenever I can. The fastest writing is usually done at night on my computer
Are you a planner or a “pantser”? Planner, for the most part. I love lists.
What imaginary land would you choose as your home, and why? I already live in paradise and several stories have the semi-desert landscape similar to northern Nevada as their setting. If I were to pick, it would have to be one of my own stories.
What animal, real or imaginary, would you choose as your constant companion? Oviraptor. Loves me the dinosaurs.
What fairy tale describes your life, and why? Ha ha! My mom asked once if a story I wrote was autobiographical. It’s called The People Of Masks. Vaguely Alice-In-Wonderlandish. That… is not my favorite fairy tale, but it describes the girl-goes-to-an-alien-world in my story pretty accurately. Is my life like Sara’s in The People Of Masks? No. Mine are more like the Jade Griffin Journals: magical and mundane mixed with plenty of life with kids. I’ll be working on publishing those this year, or a version of them.
Your superhero alter-ego: Jade Griffin, the gargon. She’s a mix between a gargoyle and a gorgon.
Historical period you’d like to visit: Any of them :)
Favorite games: Call of Cthulhu tabletop roleplaying game. Written 4 of them so far and more on the way. Second favorite would be a tie between the boardgames Catan, Dinosaur Island, Wingspan, Betrayal: Legacy, and Azul and the old video game Culdcept Saga. We… own a LOT of games.
Famous person you’ve met: Greg Weisman might be the closest I can claim to actually meeting.
Famous person you’d like to meet: Robert Culp, but he is deceased. So… Patrick Stewart?
Complete this sentence: People are most surprised to learn that I… curse, and can have a bawdy sense of humor at times. Only in the right company, though.
Title: The Journals of Lacy Anderson Moore: Monster Hunter of the 1800s, Book 1
Genre: Horror short story/novelette
Length: 60 pages
When and where does it take place? 1840s to 1860s, and all over the world
Would you live there and why/why not? It is fun to visit her life but I don’t think I’d like living it. I’m not the monster-hunting type.
How did you come up with the title? I debated something shorter but, really, the title describes the book perfectly so I left it as-is.
What inspired you to write it? When I started running my group of ttrpg players through custom campaigns, I was encouraged to write them as marketable adventures and sell them. One of the things I did for the players is buy an old-looking journal and hand-write a player handout full of notes and journal entries from one of the player character’s relatives. I was invited to a book signing but had no book, so I brushed off the journal, filled in the gaps, and published it.
Is there a sequel in the works? Done, and out! The Journals of Lacy Moore: Monster Hunter of the 1800s, Book 2. Yes, another long title and very similar to the first one, but I took out her maiden name, because she is married. Still going strong on the monster-hunting though. The third and final volume will be out later in 2023 – The Death of Lacy Moore: Monster Hunter of the 1900s, Book 3. Gonna be good! I have other books I am working on in the short story Horror genre so look for them as well.
Where, how can you get it? Amazon Kindle, available in digital, paperback, and hardback:
Describe your book in one word that most people don’t normally use. Bull-headed
What would you select as your book’s theme song? Who would you choose to write the musical score? The main themes from Pirates of the Caribbean work really well to get me in the mood. James Horner or John Williams!
What’s your most interesting story or chapter title? I get a lot of grins from the punny titles of my ttrpgs: Taken For Granite, Deep-Seeded Secrets, and Mail-Order Bribe.
Who would want to ban it? Religious folks, as it deals with horrors that may or may not control the world and that tends to go against the grain. And, honestly, I think my main character may actually be Asexual, so anyone anti-LGBTQAI would also ban my book, or because I have a strong female who needs no man in her life whatsoever.
To whom did you dedicate it and why? I dedicated the first book to my Girl’s Night group, whom I run all my rpgs through. Literally, they have to play through my crazy world. The second is dedicated to my amazing father, who passed away in August 2022. I read it to him, and every part I managed to write. Sadly, he did not hear the end of Book 2.
How long did it take you to write it? The first one took approximately a year of on and off writing and not being too serious until the last 2 months before publication. The second one took about 5 to 6 months of on and off serious work.
What was your biggest challenge in writing it? Looking back, I wish I had not dragged my feet and finished it before my dad died. After he passed away, I left it be for about a month, picked it up, and finished the thing. I wanted it done. I wanted it published the year he died. So that’s what I did. I am struggling with the end and am debating rewriting part of it. Nothing major. I just don’t like what happened at the very end for the head nun, Suora Superiora. And if I don’t like it, why should anyone else?
Name, age, and occupation: Lacy Moore, age ranges from 15 to 40s in the first two books, and she is a wife, a mother, but mostly a globe-trotting monster hunter.
Where and with whom does he/she live? She is often a lone wolf but, when home, she is either in Leicester, England or Graniteville, Vermont with her husband, Richard and son, Randall.
Who would play this character in a movie? Clea DuVall mixed with Kristen Stewart and Milla Jovovich but no innocence or femininity. Lacy does not have much of a soft side. She is ruthless. Scarlet Johansson doesn’t cut it either, so maybe a mix of the top three.
What real-life person would be this character’s hero, mentor, or role model? My dad. He was a hunter, too.
What’s his or her celebrity crush? None. She doesn’t do that. But she would get along hella well with Dean Winchester.
What’s her biggest fear/phobia? Losing her son, Randall, to the things that she hunts; or becoming such a ruthless monster herself that she should never return home
On what TV show would he/she appear as a special guest? Supernatural
What’s her favorite quote or motto? Can’t go home till the monsters’re gone.
Weapon of choice (gun, knife, intellect, magic, manipulation, etc.): She fancies a pair of blades she enchanted herself with a simple magic spell. Magical blades do more damage than normal weaponry.
At the beginning of the story, this character is … a fiery teenager escaping the confines of her family’s rigid and drab plans for her future.
Worst habit? She isn’t sure if she can stop killing.
Best feature? Relentless, skilled dispatcher of evil things.
Name, age and occupation: Tim Ahrens, 54, retail supervisor.
Where and with whom do you live? I live alone.
If you could co-write a book with any author, living or dead, whom would you choose? Edgar Allen Poe.
Why do you write? I enjoy crafting characters and worlds.
Where do you write? My study.
What do you collect? Anime and horror collectibles.
Your superhero alter-ego: Green Lantern.
Favorite board, card or video game: Neverwinter MMORPG for PC.
Title, genre and length? Dark Creatures: A Simple Game, Dark Fantasy, 310 pages.
When and where does it take place? Two worlds, one is the town of Millten, Wisconsin, the year 2020. The second is a world of Dark Creatures, Year unknown.
How did you come up with the title? One of the places I write about in the book is the world of dark creatures. The second part of the title is a secret.
What inspired you to write it? I used to play Dungeons and Dragons when I was a kid. That started my storytelling.
Is there a sequel in the works? Yes.
Where, how can you get it? At my web domain, www.thedarkcreatures.com. Also available via Amazon under Author Tim Ahrens or Dark Creatures: A Simple Game. Or at Barnes & Noble Book Sellers under the same names.
Describe your book in one word that most people don’t normally use. Exciting.
Who would you choose to write the musical score? The sound track to the movie The Ninth Gate. John Williams.
What’s your most interesting chapter title? Life is a Song Well Sung.
Who would want to ban it? Anyone who would call Stephen King’s or J.R.R. Tolkien’s works “demonic.”
To whom did you dedicate it and why? To Jean and Eric Turman as well as James Reich (who provided the illustrations), for believing in my writing.
Names, ages and occupations: Their are three. The first is William J. Donovan, 16, high school student. Second: Augury Pars, age unknown, Wraith. The third is Llica Travilan, age 20, bard or traveling entertainer.
Where and with whom do they live? Will lives with his parents. Augury and Llica live together on the road.
What real-life person would be your protagonist’s hero, mentor or role model? Will’s would be his father; Augury’s and Llica’s would be the Lord Protector.
What’s his or her celebrity crush? Will: Scarlett Johansson.
What’s her biggest fear/phobia? Will’s is failure. Augury’s is failure to complete her mission. Llica’s is being parted permanently from Augury.
On what TV show would he/she appear as a special guest? Will would be on The Orville. Augury and Llica would be on Criminal minds.
Weapon of choice (gun, knife, intellect, magic, manipulation, etc.) Will has no weapon of choice. Augury’s is La Mia Morte. Llica’s is a secret.
At the beginning of the book, our hero (Will) is … Unaware that his actions are about to turn his world into a living hell.
Worst habit (Will)? Believing that nothing he does will ever change the world.
Best feature (Will)? He’s a hero deep inside.
Andy Peloquin is the author of Gateway to the Past, the third installment of The Last Bucelarii series, which he describes as "dark fantasy with a look at the underside of human nature." Peloquin's latest novel, it was published March 31 and focuses on The Hunter, legendary assassin of Voramis, whose mission is to protect a boy he rescued from a demon. The author sat down and answered a series of questions via email for this installment of The Open Book.
Author's website: http://andypeloquin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andyqpeloquin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyPeloquin
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andypeloquin/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/100885994638914122147/about
Name, age and occupation: Andy Peloquin, 29, author/freelance writer.
Where and with whom do you live? I live in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico (south of the U.S. border) with my wife and four kids.
If you could co-write a book with any author, living or dead, whom would you choose? Brandon Sanderson or Scott Lynch. Being able to work with those authors (even just be in the same room with them and talking with them) would be a dream come true!
Why do you write? Because I MUST. I come from an artistic family, but have no artistic skills of my own. When I discovered writing, it was like finding a part of myself I was missing. Writing gives me a way to communicate, an outlet for my innate creativity, and a way to connect with people.
Where do you write? I love the safe, comfortable environment of my office desk, where I do most of my writing. However, some of my best chapters have been hammered out at the airport, on a bus, at a coffee shop, or sitting by the beach.
What imaginary land would you choose as your home, and why? There's something wonderful about Narnia that makes it a wonderful place to be. It's that "home away from home" I discovered as a child, and even now live to read.
Your superhero alter-ego: I wish I could be one of the more bad-ass superheroes (the Punisher, Captain America, etc.), but I think I'd be like Hawkeye — just a normal guy with a skill that makes him exceptional. The fact that he can go toe to toe with gods and super-beings is something I highly respect.
Historical period you’d like to visit: I think I would have made an AMAZING Viking (6' 6" is a pretty good height for a Norse raider).
Favorite board, card or video game: I've recently discovered Settlers of Catan and have fallen in love with it. Of course, what's life without a bit of tabletop role-playing a la D&D/Pathfinders?
“Creative, gritty, and beautifully dark...fantasy addicts will love it!”
Title, genre and length? The Last Bucelarii (Book 3): Gateway to the Past — the latest in the dark fantasy series. Length: 120,000 words.
When and where does it take place? The setting is medieval-era in an alternate world known as Einan. It starts off in a French/German-style village, but transitions to a Saharan Africa-esque setting. The Hunter ends up in a Marrakech/Cairo-style city with hints of Saudi Arabian/Turkish/Moroccan architecture and culture.
How did you come up with the title? The idea behind the title is that "memories are the gateway to the past". Especially for this character, who has had his memories erased (for reasons explained in this book) up to 40-50 years before. So by accessing his memories, he literally sees into the life/lives he once lived.
What inspired you to write it? The first book introduced the character and his drive to kill, as well as showing him at the peak of his powers (inhuman strength/speed/stamina, healing ability). The second book showed what happened when he tried to fight the urge to kill, as well as lost his powers. In this book, he has recovered his powers and come to terms with the fact that he needs to kill to remain sane. He's no longer trying to fight it. However, at the end of Book 2, he saves the life of a child, who happens to have abilities to hunt down demons. When he's near the Hunter, the voices in his head fall silent. The Hunter brings him along — out of guilt for his actions, and out of a necessity to remain sane. But the life of an assassin is a dangerous one, and no place for an innocent child. A great contrast — cynical, violent assassin meets extremely naïve (the result of Williams Syndrome) child.
Is there a sequel in the works? This is Book 3 of 6. Book 4 is already written, and it introduces the "big bad" of the series. Books 5 and 6 are on their way as soon as I can sit down and write them.
Where, how can you get it? All the books are available on Amazon, as well as Barnes & Noble.
Describe your book in one word that most people don’t normally use. Deep. On the face of it, it's an action/adventure story with a bad-ass assassin as the protagonist, but once you look a bit deeper, you realize it's the story of a lonely person trying to find a sense of belonging in a world where he doesn't belong. That's something we can all relate to. And it takes a look at emotional/mental/neurological/psychological disorders — sociopathy, psychopathy, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, paranoid disorders, schizoaffective disorder, Williams' Syndrome, and many more.
What would you select as your book’s theme song? Who would you choose to write the musical score? The perfect song to describe this book is one by Five Finger Death Punch. The song says, "I'm on the wrong side of Heaven, and the righteous side of Hell." As a half-demon assassin who hunts demons, that's the perfect way to describe the character.
“The fantasy world has a compelling new antihero…the Hunter will terrify and captivate you.”
Name, age and occupation: The Hunter of Voramis. Age unknown. Occupation: assassin.
Where and with whom does he/she live? When first we meet him in Blade of the Destroyer, he lives in fancy apartments concealed in the heart of a run-down warehouse. He has brought beggars, lepers, and outcasts into the building to live with him. Initially, they were meant only a camouflage. But eventually they've become the closest thing he has to family — his only link to the world. He is an outcast like them.
Who would play your protagonist in a movie? I'd love to see Thomas Jane or Jason Momoa play this role. Both are bad-ass in their own right, and would make one heck of a half-demon assassin!
What real-life person would be your protagonist’s hero, mentor or role model? The Hunter is a bit of a loner, so he wouldn't have a mentor, role model, or hero. He's far too cynical and sees the worst in everyone.
What’s her biggest fear/phobia? Though he isn't self-aware or emotionally mature enough to realize it, it's the fear of being alone. He has lived a long life and been on his own for most of it. Being alone makes him depressed and allows his mind to wander toward dark thoughts.
What’s his/her favorite quote or motto? "May the Long Keeper take your body; your soul is forfeit." This is the ritual he was taught to remind him of his humanity.
Weapon of choice: Soul-stealing dagger named Soulhunger that feeds him power and is an incessant voice in his head that drives him to kill
At the beginning of the book, our hero is … A ruthless killer with a very limited sense of morality. He has only one thing he holds true: the innocent should be protected.
Worst habit? Killing people who could identify him. If they see his true face, they must die.
Best feature? His desire to protect those that matter to him, and his unyielding stubbornness. He won't quit, no matter how bad things are going for him.
“From the first words on the page this fantasy holds the reader spellbound even after the book is finished … his character is very well-defined even if his past is a mystery. Root for an assassin? Oh, yes, one must!”
