Shaytonian Chronicles – Book 1: Destiny Sets
Karen Fainges
Welcome
to IAB. I'm so glad you could stop in today to chat. May I offer you
a beverage?
At
the risk of murdering a quote, "I don't drink..... wine."
LOL, Now
that we are settled in, let's get to know you better.
BK:
Looking out the nearest window, describe the scene you see.
Framed
in the window is a dry and bare backyard strewn with whatever the
dogs have managed to liberate from the house. A garage stuffed with
so many hobbies that car has never seen the inside dominiates the
very back. Next to it lays the mummy mansion perched on its besser
bricks and windows tight shut against the heat and dust of the
drought stricken mining town. At the very edge of the frame, you can
glimpse the pool fence that surrounds the cool oasis holding the spa
and hammock.
BK:
Tell us about your office. Is it a mess like mine, or is everything
in its place?
Umm
office, I am sure it is in there somwhere. The mummy mansion was
pristine until gradually the lego, space models and board games moved
in towards the only clear table.
BK:
What is a must-have, such as coffee or a favorite pen, that you need
to write?
To
write, one needs time, an electronic device and snackage including
Pepsi Max. Yes I will be seeking a sponsorship deal.
BK:
Do you like to write in silence, or do you need music or background
noise?
Music
definitely helps though I have been known to write in a spectrum
ranging from near vaccuum to busy fast food venue/town pool.
BK:
Tell us a bit about your hero/heroine, and their development.
Lisa
and Talkar arose from stories created to avoid playing with my
younger sister and cousins. They grew to roleplaying friend, writing
buddies and then to full blown beings that I could send out into the
worlds around the Circle to play and wreak havok.
Lisa
is an exiled princess from a race of escaped vampiric slaves hiding
in the dimensions. Long raven dark hair as befits a named warrior,
she has the lean graceful form of the dancer she is and the strong
hands of a doctor. Not everyone can combine healing and exotic
dancing but she does it quite well.
Talkar
is her son, born out of the desire to thumb her nose at the Council.
He is the charming rogue that saves them all.
BK:
What is your unique twist that you've brought to your storyline?
Hmmm
unique, not sure. My vampires are not undead, aliens and shapeshift
more than most. My race are a matriarchy with the hero male and
fighting for his rights. The "good guys" are only good in
certain ways and quite enjoy being bad in others. Humans are often
the villians. Sorry, can't really think of anything too unique.
BK:
As a writer myself, I'm always curious how other writers get through
stumble blocks. When you find a story not flowing, or a character
trying to fight you, how do you correct it?
I
go with it. If the character is fighting me, then inevitably I have
it wrong. After all, they know who they are best. I let the character
have their head. If I'm blocked, I think, what is the worst thing
that can happen, abd do that.
BK:
Using the letters of your first name as an acronym, describe your
book...
Keep
fighting, the Fates do not allow slackers to live on Shayton.
Always
watch your back.
Run
with it, if there is a chance for beauty and pleasure, grab it with
both hands.
Enemies
are everywhere, paronia merely shows you are paying attention.
Now
is the best time to do anything.
BK:
How did your writing journey begin?
Frequently
being the "new kid", I found that kids will forgive almost
anything if you can spin a good yarn. Eventually, I started writing
the yarns down.
BK:
Using the letters from the word, Summer, how would friends and family
describe you?
Sum
of Mum & mummer (as in actor)
BK:
What is the craziest thing you've ever written about, whether it got
published or not?
I
did a website and literature for the Seahorse club which is a cross
dressing group.
BK:
Tell us one thing you've done in life, that readers would be most
surprised to know.
I
used to help my mother to deliver messages to our local politician
Fast Bucks, by making sure the flag was run up that told the hippie
commune where he lived to put their pants on before she got there.
BK:
What can we expect from you in the future?
I
am currently finishing off the fourth book in the Shaytonian
Chronicles and the second comedy book based, very loosely, on my own
life and that of my family.
This
or That...
Coke
or Pepsi? Pepsi Max
Night
Owl or Early Bird? Hoot hoot or does writing through till 5am count
as an early bird?
Fantasy
or Mystery? Fanatasy definitely.
Pen/Paper
or Computer? Computer, I am a gadgetphile.
Pizza
or Burger? Hmm tough one, burger I think.
Rock
or Country? Depends on my mood but normally Rock though Aussie
country has some brilliant comedy songs.
Chocolate
or Vanilla? CHOCOLATE
Beach
or Mountains? I come from the Northern Rivers, we have both,
including semitropical rainforests and plains. I now live near the
desert and I can definitely say, as beautiful as the colours are, I
prefer watching the sea from a nice cliff face.
Thank
you so much for having us as one of your stops today. It has been
great getting to know more about you and your book, and hope you will
come back when the next release is out (*hinthint*)
Wishing
you much success!
BK
Walker
Author Bio: http://shayton.net/Author.htm
Karen Fainges works as a trainer in business and computing. A wife and mother, she started thinking up sci-fi stories at the age of 10. Editor of the K-tips business and computing ezine, she longed to present her fiction to the world. So she took those long ago stories, a love of the absurd and wrote about beings that were not humans. Sometimes you see a lot more about humanity and yourself when you are looking at someone else.
Author Links Website http://shayton.net/
Facebook Author page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Fainges/83671225033
Facebook Series page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shaytonian-Vampire-Fiction/88608175544 Twitter https://twitter.com/annalisamara
Linkedin http://au.linkedin.com/pub/karen-fainges/a/b99/424/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10612018
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Fainges/e/B0050KEU3S/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1382177091&sr=8-3
About The Book
Book Genre: Scifi/Fantasy Vampire
Publisher: Writers Exchange
Release Date:
Buy Link(s): http://astore.amazon.com/shaytonchroni-20
Book Description:
Destiny Sets is the first novel in the Shaytonian Chronicles. Lightning sears a scene against the eye. Trapped between reality and death, every scrap of life is fighting for existence. To stop fighting is to die. Some precious moments of peace can be stolen from small pockets of calm. Life can take a breath and wonder at the harsh beauty. But only for a moment, then struggle resumes. And others watch. The Shayton Chronicles begins in Destiny Sets, the story of one man. He is that drop of chaos that can spell success or failure. Born from a vampiric race of slaves, genetically moulded to provide comfort for their masters, he alone decides to be truly free. Irreverent humour and a fierce need to know 'why', war within him and entire worlds are changed. "The Stainless Steel Rat with fangs."
Excerpt
Painting the mythic vampire
The deep royal blue sky of the Italian Riviera provided the perfect backdrop to the posed woman. She was an otherworldly figure set amongst the ancient columns. Her softly accented voice broke the stillness. "Are you sure about this?"
She watched as he added a daub more paint, "I am sure. You said it yourself, the best way to deny something it is to say it is true."
"And what if the Council finds out?"
Alfredo dabbed on a different colour. Going by the look on his face, he still did not have the skin colour the exactly right colour of purple. It had been frustrating him all evening. There was a timeline that neither one of them had mentioned, but it loomed in their thoughts. He was getting older, and no one lived forever. His words dragged her out of the wave of sadness that swept through her. "This mythical Council of yours, what if they do notice the paintings? They are just paintings."
"The Council is no myth. They rule our world."
"I thought the King ruled your homeworld?"
Lisa started to shrug but remembered in time not to move from the pose. "His rule is absolute, so long as he leaves all the day to day decisions, like whether to exile his daughter to Earth, to the Council."
"And you, as this poor exiled waif are concerned that one of those 'day to day' decisions may be objecting to this painting?"
Lisa snorted at the sarcasm in his voice, knowing it was meant more to chide her out of the doldrums than anything else. "They defend of the safety of Shayton. They hold dear her anonymity. It keeps her from being destroyed by those that fear the different, which, my dear, you must agree describes most humans remarkably well."
Alfredo nodded, "And trust me, the picture of a masked dancer with obviously fake wings..." Lisa snorted again at this description of her body, "will ensure that any little slip ups like the one in Venice, will be seen as a publicity stunt and nothing else. Your Council will thank us."
1 comment:
Thanks so much for chatting Karen! :)
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