Talaria Press: Thanks for joining us, today we’re kicking off the Talaria Press interview series by speaking with Dr. Nicole Salem. Dr. Salem, thank you for being here.

Nicole Salem: Please call me Nicole.

TalP: Alright, Nicole, let’s start with your profession. What do you do for a living?

NS: I’m an archeologist on the payroll of the Field Museum of Natural History inChicago,Illinois.

TalP: That must be interesting. How do you feel about your profession?

NS: I love it. It’s all I’ve wanted to do since I was a little girl.

TalP: What’s your favorite part of what you do?

NS: I’d have to say the excitement of discovering things that haven’t been seen or handled in thousands of years. It’s a pretty amazing experience, to open a site; a lot of people would find it tedious, but I guess I’m one of those strange people who likes scraping away the dirt little by little to see what’s hiding underneath.

TalP: What’s your least favorite part of your job?

NS: Oddly enough, there can be some pretty big egos in the field which can be a challenge to deal with.

TalP: Tell us about your family. Are your parents alive?

NS: Yes, they’re both still alive. My dad was an Army aviator when he was younger and when he left that, he went into construction inChicago. Mom was a housewife most of our lives, until we got into school, at which point she started helping Dad out at the office. They’re pretty amazing people.

TalP: How about siblings?

NS: I have a younger sister, named Janie.

TalP: What’s your relationship with her like?

NS: Complicated.

TalP: Complicated? Care to elaborate on that?

NS: I love my sister, but we’re so vastly different that it’s hard to get along with her. When we were young, we got along really well, but it seemed like when I hit college, Janie decided that I abandoned her or something and started acting out.

TalP: Siblings can do that sometimes… Speaking of your childhood, where did you grow up? What was your childhood like?

NS: My parents still live in the family home inEvanston, which is where we grew up. It’s a little upscale suburb outside ofChicago. Overall, I’d say I had a happy childhood.

TalP: What were you like in school?

NS: (laughter) Remember Hermione from Harry Potter? Yeah, that was kind of me, except my hair was better behaved and I didn’t have buckteeth. Admittedly, I was a bit of an obnoxious overachiever in everything I did.

TalP: (laughter) Well, let’s also not forget that it was often Hermione’s nerdiness that got Harry and Ron out of trouble. So, do you have any tattoos or scars?

NS: It’s not really a tattoo or scar, but when I was chosen by Sekhmet, a mark in the shape of her sigil appeared on the back of my left shoulder. It looks like a tattoo though so I guess that counts.

TalP: Do you have a significant other?

NS: Significant other? (laughs) That’s a very diplomatic way of asking if I have a girlfriend without directly asking if I’m a lesbian.

TalP: Okay, okay, guilty. I don’t assume either way. So, are you seeing anyone?
NS: (more laughter) Well, that’s kind of a personal question, but I am seeing someone. He’s a pretty amazing person… he’s really inspired me to push beyond my normal boundaries and grow into a much better person.

TalP: Sounds like he’s very special.

NS: Oh, he is. That’s all I’ll say about it, though.

TalP: Fair enough. So, do you have any children? If no, do you want them?

NS: Wow, with the personal questions… No, I don’t have any children. Honestly, I’ve never given it much thought, but I don’t rule it out.

TalP: Alright, stepping away from the personal issues, what do you like to do for fun? Do you have any hobbies?

NS: I studied martial arts in my youth, and made it into the competitive circles for a while. I parlayed that into collecting ‘primitive’ weapons and learning how to use them.

TalP: Do you prefer books or movies? Favorites?

NS: Both. I’ll read or watch just about anything that’s really well written. I love old-school sci-fi like Heinlein.

TalP: Do you have a favorite food or drink?

NS: Growing up inChicago, I’ve been exposed to a wide variety of foods growing up. I’ve always been particularly fond of Italian and Polish, though.

TalP: So, let’s go into a few more esoteric questions… What quality do you like most in a man?

NS: Willpower

TalP: What quality do you like most in a woman?

NS: Integrity.

TalP: What scares you most?

NS: Um… spiders.

TalP: On what occasions do you lie?

NS: (smirking) When people ask me about my greatest fears.

TalP: (laughter) Touché. Alright, then who do you admire most in the world?

NS: Wow, that’s a tough one. There are so many to choose from. I guess I’m going to have to say my friend Aramair. She’s the kindest, gentlest woman I’ve ever known, but she’s also tougher than people think. She’s also absolutely brilliant and a talented doctor on top of all that.

TalP: Do you support any charitable organizations? If so, why those particular ones?

NS: No formal charities, but when I’m not out at a dig somewhere, I’m one of the researchers the Field prefers to send out to visit schools and children’s groups. I also help out with occasional overnights for kids at the museum. As you might imagine, I have  a vested interest in encouraging a love of history in kids.

TalP: That definitely makes sense. Bearing all that you’ve said in mind, what do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

NS: Well, that’s hard to say. I suppose I would have to say my acceptance as NuruSekhmet. It wasn’t without its controversy and stress, but it’s really been a turning point in my life.

TalP: Yeah, I’d say that’s a pretty intimidating proposition. So, what are your goals for the future?

NS: That’s easier: defeat the bad guys, live happily ever after.

TalP: Well, if there’s any such thing, I’d say you deserve it if you beat the bad guys. One last question: If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?

NS: Wow, I really don’t know. I’m not really a sit on the couch and veg kind of person. Probably just spend time with my friends and family.

And there you have it, our interview with Dr. Nicole Salem. Thanks for reading, and keep an eye out for future interviews!

So, if any of you reading this are planning on attending Crypticon this weekend, make sure to stop by my friend, and fellow writer, Marie Frances’ table. She’ll be there all weekend. Somehow she’s managed to charm her way out of the writers’ corral and has a table in the main hallway!

She’s got paperback copies of her book Nighthawk on-hand (normally the book is only available in ebook format for Kindle & NOOK) as well as prints from her modeling photoshoots (behave pervs!). 

Marie is a very sweet woman and an awesomely talented writer, so drop by, say hello, and BUY HER BOOK! 

Cheers!

LOVE this!  

chrishemsworth:

Florence + The Machine -  Breath Of Life  (Official Music Video)

As a gamer, I’ve heard about The Pulling Report for several years. For those who don’t know, the Pulling Report was drafted by Michael Stackpole to refute the efforts of Patricia Pulling and her Bothered by Dungeons & Dragons (BADD) organization. 

For the first time, I actually sat down and read the full text of the report, thanks to a link that Michael provided in a recent blog posting of his. It’s a fascinating and horrifying read, to be honest. I believe that this should be required reading for anyone who’s a gamer or into sci-fi and fantasy. Whatever good intentions Pat Pulling started out with clearly devolved into what almost appears to be a complete break with reality. 

In reading the document and some of Mrs Pulling’s misguided attempts to ‘educate’ authorities about the danger signs of troubled youths, it occurred to me that I might’ve been a victim of her well-intentioned but hideously misinformed tactics. When I was in eighth grade, I was a generally quiet, shy kid who did well on tests and in-class assignments that didn’t require me to talk. I was also a big reader who had been reading at college levels since about fifth grade. I always had at least one book on my person and it was frequently science fiction, fantasy, or horror. 

One day, I was called out of class and told that I was going to be spending my study periods twice a week meeting with a group of kids and teachers. I was never explicitly told why this was to be, or what the meetings were supposed to be about. As the meetings went on, however, I came to realize that these were kids who were considered ‘troubled’ in some way; abused or neglected at home, fighters, druggies… In short, everything I wasn’t. 

I was flabbergasted at being thrust into these meetings. I didn’t understand why I was there. I had a good home life. My parents were loving and supportive. I fought with my brother occasionally, but what sibling doesn’t? My tactic for dealing with these sessions was to simply remain quiet unless I was forced to speak, and even then I was honest about having nothing to share. 

Reading the Pulling Report, I realized that someone must have shared the ‘trouble signs’ that Mrs Pulling put forth in her materials and I was tagged as a potentially endangered kid. The heavy-handed effort to protect me from an imaginary threat resulted in an already reserved kid withdrawing further into herself and caused no small amount of fear and humiliation for me. 

I understand that people want to protect their kids, but common sense has to kick in at some point. 

Two interviews in as many days? Yes, indeed! I love getting the chance to meet other authors and talk writing with them. I’m very pleased and excited to introduce another new friend from the Superhero Hype! Forums, Steve Sims.

Steve has published his first novel, Marlsbeth, an epic fantasy chock full of adventure and magic.

H – Hello, Steve. Thank you for talking with me today! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

S – I’m a 37 year-old IT professional, and proud father of two girls (4 and 8).

H – What inspired you to write your first book?

S – My inspiration came from a lifelong passion for the arts; concept art is a passion; I’ve always loved comic books (The Avengers/HULK/Batman), and superheroes. I remember watching the Hobbit cartoon back when I was a kid, and I’m a movie buff, so many movies inspired me as well… Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Legend, Dragon’s Lair, Star Wars. My dad was a good storyteller as well.

H – That’s a pretty heady brew. How did you come up with the title?

S – Originally it just came to me… I went deeper as I wanted everything to have substance. Breaking down the root words I would define Marl and Beth and determine it to loosely mean ‘God’s house of fresh soil’.

H – That definitely seems an appropriate name for a land inspired by the likes of Tolkien! What prompted you to write epic-style fantasy over other genres?

S – I would say that my love of poetic words and fantastic stories converged. I just started writing it with no real plan, and it grew from there. I know, really not the way it is done, but I studied and everything blossomed quite organically!

H – That’s one of the beautiful things about writing, it’s very individual and there’s really no “right” way to go about it, in my experience. Tell us about Marlsbeth. What makes it different from all the other fantasy novels out there?

S – To me what really makes Marlsbeth stand out is that it wasn’t written with preconceived notions of what fantasy was or is. I had a movie playing in my head, and it wasn’t based off of one or two writers, as I just let all of my influences converge. I also think it has a classic feel to it! Even though I did my research, I tried to write the story passionately, with a poetic overtone, rather than being overly cerebral.

H – Oh, yes, passion is definitely a must when it comes to writing. Putting your passion on the page is what makes simple words resonate with people. Which of your characters is your favorite?

S – It has to be the main character Banion. Virtuous, passionate, devoted, honorable. The traits of a real hero!

H – Which of your characters would you most/least to invite to dinner, and why?

S – That would most likely have to go to General Geldik of the Dark Armies, a.k.a. Bloodhunter… nuff said!

H – With a nickname like that, I can’t blame you! What motivates you to write?

S – My brain can only hold so much before stuff starts spilling out!

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

S – I love the parables of Robert Plant in Led Zeppelin, and the figurative lines of Scott Stapp of Creed. King David wrote some beautiful Psalms.

H – I also love the imagery in many of Creed’s songs. Where do you get your ideas?

S – Most of my ideas are spawned from images, and music is very inspirational. I put the ingredients in my brain, and cook them up! For Marlsbeth I have a whole Excel workbook FULL of the characters (some aren’t even in the book), places, etc.

H – Best to hold on to those characters, you never know when you might decide you want to write about them. What are your current projects?

S – Just the Marlsbeth website http://www.marlsbeth.com content is enough right now! Appendices, and downloads… the facebook page as well. Check it out! I had an amazing professional concept artist out of Norway do the artwork on the website, which is some of the main characters.

H – So, in terms of technical aspects of your work, do you work with an outline, or just write?

S – I just wrote Marlsbeth, but I have started an outline of part 2.

H – What was the hardest part of writing your book?

S – Keeping transitions seamless. Following along on the map… The map is a free download on the website to accompany the book!

H – Transitions do seem to be the bane of many an author. Do you ever experience writer’s block?

S – No, not really. Perhaps shrinking down what I see in my head, but no writers block yet!

H – Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

S – I’ve just written the one book for now, but yes indeed! It is a little difficult though — the notion of putting a piece of your soul out there for people to examine… but it’s worth the risk! I would let it influence my writing a little I guess, but to change solely to make others happy wouldn’t make any sense.

H – How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?

S – That is certainly a work in progress, but just talking to people and handing out cards is a good start. You have to have a web presence! Get out in the community too.

H – So, for my final question: Do you have any advice for other writers?

S – See it through! Push yourself toward finishing… It won’t finish itself, so do what you need to do to see it through to the end!

Steve, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me today, and I wish you the best of luck in your writing!

Looking for a good book?

Check out my friend Michael Hicks’ website… you may even score a free copy of one of his books!

Husband. Father. Musician. Writer. Ren Cummins is a man of many talents who has worn a lot of hats in his time. I was fortunate enough to claim a few moments of his time to have him answer some questions for my, and your, elucidation.

And now, without further ado, I give you Ren Cummins!

• In 15 words or less, tell us about your Chronicles of Aesirium series.

Death wears a pretty dress. (Now with 25% more steampunk.)

• Now there’s an interesting image, to be sure. Where did the idea for the storyline come from?

Some most excellent friends of mine and I did a tabletop roleplaying game several years ago, and my wife wanted her character to be kind of like an anime version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So we tossed ideas around and came up with teenaged Romany, a little girl who fights the undead. After that game ended, I found I was really missing that character, so my wife told me to suck it up and write her story. So I fleshed it out, changed things around a bit to convert the concept into a lightly steampunk world, added monsters, giant robots, magic, and airships… and the world of Aerthos was born.

The storyline as it rolls out was one that flowed naturally from my fascination with history - not just the events as they happen, but, more curiously in the way in which they are remembered. And, more than just in terms of world or cultural history, our own individual and personal histories are as much dependent upon the actual events as they are our perception of them. I wanted to explore this, so I wrote out the history both as it was as well as how it was known, and even as it was known by multiple cultural segments within the populace. I definitely believe that the most important thing a person can do is learn from the past, but sometimes that can be an extremely difficult thing to do; I kept this idea in mind while the story unfolded itself.

But also, I’ve got a now-ten-year-old daughter, and I wanted to write a story that would inspire her imagination; one that gave her a world and characters she could enjoy reading, with a sense of empowerment involving young characters, and, specifically, a young girl as the protagonist. I wanted my daughter to believe that a little girl could do anything, even save the world.

• As a woman who grew up with role models like Wonder Woman and Princess Leia, I can certainly attest to how important fictional characters can be in a young girl’s life. How did you come up with the idea for the realm of Aethros? What went into your world-building process?

The original concept was more of a standard science fiction world - flying cars, the whole enchilada. But the more I thought about how I wanted the characters to look and act, that just didn’t work. So at some point the idea of a Victorian-esque culture came to mind; I might have been playing a lot of Final Fantasy at the time, or watching Firefly for the hundredth time. I just liked the paradox and juxtaposition of a future past sort of world. Not a utopia, not a distopia, just an…Opia. *chuckle*  Seriously, though, once the Victorian element appeared, I couldn’t imagine the world any other way. But even that - I didn’t want it to be that cut and dried. In playing up the “misremembered history” aspect, I gave them a twist on their own origins, suggesting a beginnings founded in a much higher degree of technology. And from there, I penciled my way back about 4000 years and worked my way forward, developing out a time line with dates and events and civilizations, adding more and more details the further forward I came.

I even played with the idea of scripture and historical referential documentation, much of which found its way into the books in fun and - I hope - interesting ways.

When I was about halfway through the first draft of book one, a friend of mine read some of it and told me it reminded them of Steampunk. I responded, “Steampunk? What’s that?” I’m horribly ashamed to admit this now, truly. But as it turns out, a lot of “steampunk” authors got their start in the genre almost by accident, so I’m okay with that, too.

• I think that the work you put into building the world shows. The world definitely feels like it’s been around for a while and has a certain amount of weight to it. It’s almost inevitable that some aspect of the author winds up in the characters in their stories. Which character would you say is the most like you, and why?

Yikes. Honestly, I’m torn between the one I wish I was, the one I think I am, and the one I’m sure other people think I am. I wish I were Favo, but I’m probably like Cousins, and I figure most people think I’m like Mulligan. Favo, because I believe that much of a person’s success is based upon good timing and a witty retort, and that man just seems to have both in spades. I envy that man his good fortune and the way he manages to make every situation look like it happened exactly as he’d planned for it to be. Cousins, on the other hand, is a young man in search of himself, who tries to talk his way out of (or into) every challenge. I admire the tenacity of a person who can take a set of circumstances and use them to reinvent himself, and, in the end, come out shining. Mulligan is just a furry little combination of wisdom, certitude and grumpiness. I’m usually fine once I’ve had my daily coffee, however.

• If it makes you feel any better, Mulligan is my favorite character. Now that you’re working through the final installment of the series, which character do you believe has the most dramatic evolution during the course of their story arc? (For example, I believe that in the Lord of the Rings movies, Pippin has the most dramatic evolution during the course of the story, going from being a loyal, if slightly dim, young man who looks at the mission as a game to a seasoned warrior who finds the courage to defy Denethor to save Faramir’s life.)

The easy answer would be Rom - - she goes from 11 year old orphan to powerful Sheharid Is’iin, guardian and shepherd of souls. That’s a big deal, and it’s wonderful to watch her evolve. *SPOILER ALERT!* But for me, the truly mighty evolution is of the series’ villain, Artifice. Fallen angel, heartbroken Reaper and resigned assassin… the path of her life is truly a challenging one to write. I am looking forward to seeing people’s reactions to the revelations that occur in book 6. And I can’t say any more than that yet.

• Ooh, I do love a good villain! Speaking of which writer’s block is generally the nemesis of a writer and some create rituals to help activate their creativity and stave the wicked thing off. Do you have any rituals around your writing? A particular place/time that you write? Do you listen to music, etc?

I’ve set up a table and comfortable chair in my “man cave” on the lower floor of my house, and with that I add an iPod with a predesigned “Writing” playlist, a venti white chocolate mocha, and a closed door.

• You have a pretty diverse skill set; husband, father, musician, and now writer. How did you determine that you wanted to be a writer? What made you decide that would be your primary artistic focus?

I’ve always loved telling stories. (I know if you asked my parents, they’ll totally back that up.) But originally, I wanted to be Spiderman, and, when it was clear that was never going to happen, I started looking at alternative choices which still supported the idea of heroic adventures and the wonder and excitement of the sort of physics I think Shaw had in mind when he talked about imagining things that have not been and asking, “Why not?” I got interested in playing and writing music when I got into high school and spent about ten years in studios and on stage…. but everything changed when I first held my daughter. The idea of going on tour for 10 months out of the year, long nights in studios, all the trappings of being a full time musician - they just all felt completely lifeless and empty. I just didn’t want to do anything that would take me away from her. Fast-forward a few years, and then all the stories started flooding back. A lot of them have come from bedtime stories, even - but the central element is just the idea of sharing ideas and imaginings with other people. Writing just encompasses that, for me.

• Yes, children do have a way of changing things, don’t they? Once you’ve wrapped the Chronicles of Aesirium, what’s next?

The Return to Aesirium! No, well, no, not yet. Later, though, yes, I’ve already got a few other books in my head about those characters. But the next books will be a series of contemporary paranormal books - - targeted to an older reader than the current series, and darker. Looking forward to writing some more contemporary dialogue and exploring a bit of modern mythology. Also, I’ve always wanted to write… oh, but that would be spoiling. Bwah hah hah. Mine is an evil laugh.

• You’re such a tease! So, for my final question, I pose this to you: If you could give one piece of advice to someone trying to break into writing, what would you tell them?

Only one? There are a few bits I’d suggest: first, write, write and write some more. Second, get to know other people in the industry - not so they’ll help you, but so you can learn. Third, learn everything you can about the industry - don’t expect your fairy godmother to appear one night and make the world a magical place for you, wherein all your dreams come true: you have to be prepared to work. Last, be ready for rejection. I’ve never heard of a single author who was never rejected at least once: worst case scenario, you have to accept that you may NEVER be discovered, and you may be writing for a small audience…but if you truly love writing, that’s all you’d ever really need.

And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, Ren Cummins. Writer and friend, I frequently think of him when I read the opening verse of Arthur O’Shaughnessy’s Ode:

We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams; —
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.

So, according to one of my facebook event reminders, today is ‘Celebrate Your Geekness Day’. A while back there was a thread started on a forum that I frequent asking who got us into scifi… which got me thinking about the origins of my interest in it.

The truth is, I can’t really pin it down to one person or event or movie that triggered my love of scifi and fantasy. Looking back, I’ve always had a love of the fantastic. I was the kid who stayed up late and read books about unicorns and dragons under the blankets by flashlight. Later (between 7 and 12ish), I would sneak out of bed and watch movies like The Terminator and RoboCop with the volume turned down so I wouldn’t wake my parents.

When I hit college, I started getting seriously into comics and found myself becoming more of a Marvel girl than DC. My love was speficially the X-Men. I’ve always loved the idea that there was a group of people who were outsiders, feared and reviled by the rest of the world, yet they chose to use their abilities to help people rather than hurt them.

To me, that was an incredibly potent brew and it reacted a bit like nitroglycerin with my imagination. You see, that’s the point when I started creating stories and writing them down, mostly revolving around these powerful and misunderstood heroes. My mother read one of my stories and that prompted her to suggest that I take a creative writing course… and the rest is history.

This is an incredible time to be a geek. We’ve seen an Oscar go to a film adaptation of a seminal work of fantasy literature (yes, I know they cheesed it by calling Return of the King as historic fiction, but it still won), we’ve seen fantastic adaptations of some of our favorite comics (Iron Man, Batman, the X-men, Spider-Man), and scifi and fantasy are more accessible than ever before.

I’m hopeful that we can keep this ball rolling with upcoming adaptations of Captain America, the Avengers, a new Superman to look forward to, and others. There are some who bemoan the loss of this ‘exclusive’ little club that used to be geekdom, but I’m not one of them. Gaining a wider audience for our favorite things just means more willingness in the entertainment industry to accept more great stories.

Viva la geek!

Book Review: The Name of the Wind

My review of the fantastic novel The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss!

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