Day Seventeen of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Day Seventeen, the final stop on my whirlwind virtual tour of the blogosphere, is at Fiction Scribe, a popular writers blog operated by a woman (Jaime) who lives in Australia. (And we all know that Australians love epic fantasy, so this is cool by me!) Click here for the entire interview.

Here is an excerpt:

What character do you relate to the most and why?

Certainly, my main character is my favorite. For one thing, he’s 7 feet tall, weighs 300 pounds, and is extremely handsome and muscular, so I modeled him after myself. (Ha!)

But though he is larger than life physically, emotionally, and spiritually, he is the character (of which there are dozens) who most speaks in my voice and represents my world view.

One of the key aspects of this series is my own exploration of death and the enormous effect it has on the human psyche. My MC is named Torg, and he is called a Death Wizard — or more accurately, a Death-Knower. While deep in meditation, Buddhist monks have had recorded heart rates of less than 10 beats per minute. My main character takes this to the extreme. In an original twist never before seen in this genre, the Death Wizard is able to enter the realm of death during a “temporary suicide.” Through intense concentrative meditation, he stops his heartbeat briefly and feeds on death energy, which provides him with an array of magical powers.

This poem from Book One says it best:

Only a Death-Knower can die.
And live again.

Only a Death-Knower can return
from death.
And remember.

Only a Death-Knower can tell us
what he has seen.

Not all care to listen.

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard

The Cal Awards

My publisher is running an internal contest called the Cal Awards, with lucrative prizes going to the top three winners. The three authors who get the most votes via email (through mid-January) will win. All you have to do is send an email to events@rainbooks.com with Cal Awards in the subject line and this pasted into the body of the email:

This is a vote for Jim Melvin's Death Wizard Chronicles.

You can vote only once per email address. (This is not an attempt to collect email addresses for spam purposes.) I doubt I'll win, but what the heck ... it's worth a good-natured try.

-- Jim

Day Sixteen of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Day Sixteen is a stop at Book Publishing Secrets of Authors. Click here.

Here's an excerpt:

I started out believing that my accomplishments as a journalist would impress the large publishing houses. Man, was I wrong ... at least when it comes to fiction. As far as the editors at the major houses were concerned, I was just another debut novelist writing in an absurdly glutted genre.

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard

Jim Melvin interviews Cat Muldoon: Part 2

Did you ever consider the deeper meaning behind what happens in a book? Beyond the action...beyond the emotion...beyond the obvious details?

One of the great advantages of cruising the blogosphere is that you meet a lot of interesting people who share similar interests. One such person I’ve met while on tour is Cat Muldoon, author of Rue the Day: The Undercover Heir Book 1. Cat is the type of author who is destined for stardom. It's only a matter of when. To learn more about her and her writings, please check out her website here. You won't regret it.

Cat was gracious enough to propose an interview with me, and of course I was happy to return the favor. Part 1 of my interview with Cat appeared last Saturday. Part 2 concludes today. And you can read part 2 of her interview with me here.

Are you aiming for a target audience or does The Undercover Heir transcend genres?

One of my readers just described my writing style as a cross between J. K. Rowling and J. R. R. Tolkein. That is high praise. If you like those you will like mine.

If you enjoy fantasy, you are likely to enjoy Rue the Day. I would call the book a fantasy suspense, though the publisher dubbed it fantasy romance because there will be a bit more romance in future. I will not write a sickly sweet romance, so each book will be suspenseful and emotionally engaging.

The interesting thing about Rue the Day is that although it is a fantasy, people who do not ordinarily like fantasy enjoy it. I say this because a couple of my relatives have read it, and these are not people who care for books with any fantastical elements. But they liked Rue the Day enough to recommend it to other non-fantasy-readers. Also the critique group I belonged to consisted of people who like only mundane fiction. I was the only person who wrote science fiction and fantasy stories, and they liked my work regardless. Yes, fantasy readers enjoy it too! What a relief!

People who like Terry Goodkind’s books in the Sword of Truth series should like mine, and based on what I have read (my copy has yet to arrive), people who like your books would enjoy mine as well. Isn’t it lovely that novels by different authors can peaceably share a bookshelf? For clarity I will say that my book is more a PG book than an R book. No graphic violence.

Do you prefer sunshine or rain?
I like it all! Sunshine is nice when it is temperate and not too hot, but sunshine all the time would bore me. I adore listening to the rain, especially when it comes at night so that I can fall asleep to it. I even like wild storms providing they are not hurting anyone. But we have been without sunshine for a week, and that is difficult. When the sun peeked out for a few moments earlier (2 minutes tops), I went outside and stood in its rays, giving gratitude. Mind you, it was about 25 degrees at the time.

What are Faeries? And where do they live?
That should be WHO are faeries. They are a different sort of person, from one perspective. Their realm mirrors ours. Time flows differently there, such that a day in Faerie is much longer in mortal terms. You will notice this in the lore. There are various ways one might pass into Faerie, including special mounds and circular groves, and a few other secret ways I had best not reveal.

Are you a much different person now than you were ten years ago?
Interesting question. I don’t believe so. I have learned a few lessons and deepened my desire to make a positive impact on the world, but I do not feel I am significantly different.

Who is your biggest fan?
I have 4 people tussling for the position of biggest fan. One is my web designer Darrell, who said I should give up working for a living and just write novels. That would be lovely! Then there is my friend Seana who has been clamoring for the sequel since she read the last word of Rue, then my friend Bill in Denver who is also eagerly awaiting the sequel, which I will start writing early next year... One of my reviewers, Sadie, couldn’t stop reading the book and wants me to get busy as well.

When you register at my website http://CatMuldoon.com you might win a set of 4 Celtic music CDs that would be great company as you read Rue the Day. I will give these out next week. You will also receive excerpts of the book and of my stories.

Thank you so much for these insightful questions.

Cat

Day Fifteen of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Day Fifteen is a stop at Buzz the Book. Click here.

Here's an excerpt:

The pit was two hundred cubits deep but only three cubits in diameter. The prisoner lay curled at its bottom like a snake in a well. Fetid dankness swirled about him, creeping in and out of his nostrils as he breathed. A chill like no other clung to his body, freezing his heart.

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard

Day Fourteen of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Day Fourteen of my tour is a stop at Storycrafters. Click here.

Here's an excerpt:

Life has an unusual sense of humor, and for a quarter-century my dreams were put on hold. That said, those 25 years ended up serving a valuable purpose. As a reporter and editor, I learned the craft of writing and met a lot of interesting people, significantly expanding my worldview and talents. When I finally began writing my epic fantasy series, I realized that work and family weren’t to blame for all those lost years. Instead, I simply had not been ready as a writer. Finally, it all jelled. This is my time.

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard

Day Thirteen of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Day Thirteen of my tour stops at two places: Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion (here), hosted by Dorothy Thompson. And a radio interview with Sydney Molare (here), host of "You don't Know Jack!" (I love that title.)

Here is an excerpt from the Pump Up interview.

If you could trade places with any author just for a day, who would it be and why?

Well, I wouldn't trade with Tolkien. He's buried in a cemetery in North Oxford, so that wouldn't be particularly pleasant (just joking!). I probably would trade places with Stephen King, not because I'd want to live his life but because I'd love to be able to peek inside his brain and see how it's wired. Like him or not, the man is a genius.

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard

Day Twelve of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Day Twelve is a stop at Voice of the Angels, a blog hosted by Dyan Garris. Please check it out here and don't forget to read Dyan's fascinating bio.

Here is an excerpt:

3. Do you envision your series as a movie and if so who would star in it?

I love these kinds of questions. For me, the good news is that my books would translate wonderfully into movies, in the sense that they are visual and action-packed. The bad news is that you'd have to give them the Peter Jackson treatment: It would take at least six two-hour movies and hundreds of millions of dollars of special effects to do my series justice.

Here's how some of my characters would break down:

Torg, the Death Wizard: Adrian Paul.
Invictus, the evil sorcerer: Orlando Bloom.
Vedana, the mother of all demons: Susan Sarandon.
Laylah, the beautiful sorceress: Claire Forlani (with blond hair).
King Henepola: Samuel Jackson.
Queen Rajinii: Tilda Swinton.
Chieftain Kusala: Gerard Butler.
Sobhana: Eva Longoria.
Rathburt: Tim Robbins.

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard, Voice of the Angels

Day Eleven of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Day Eleven is a stop and review at J. Kaye's Book Blog, which has become a very popular site that is well interconnected. Please check out the review here.

Here's an excerpt from the review:

The Death-Knower does escape the pit, but runs into Vedana, a 100,000-year-old demon who is also grandmother of Invictus. Could the product of their brief union be what’s needed to destroy Invicus? Or will something even more disastrous come to be? It’s hard to tell, as Melvin’s tale isn’t predictable. We’ll just have to keep on reading to find out.

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard, J.Kaye's Blog

Jim Melvin interviews Cat Muldoon

Did you ever consider the deeper meaning behind what happens in a book? Beyond the action...beyond the emotion...beyond the obvious details?

One of the great advantages of cruising the blogosphere is that you meet a lot of interesting people who share similar interests. One such person I’ve met while on tour is Cat Muldoon, author of Rue the Day: The Undercover Heir Book 1. Cat was gracious enough to propose an interview with me, and of course I was happy to return the favor. Part 1 of my interview with Cat can be found below. And you can read part 1 of her interview with me here. Next weekend you will get part 2.

Who is Cat Muldoon?
Cat Muldoon is an award-winning author of magical tales that envelop you in new realities. Many of her stories are suspenseful, some are romantic; few are mundane. You can read some of her tales on her AuthorsDen site http://Authorsden.com/catmuldoon. She has stories in two anthologies and a couple of magazines. She wrote her first novel in four months; this spring Wings Press released Rue the Day: The Undercover Heir Book 1. She will write the next two books in the series in 2008 and hopes to release them as a set. Read excerpts of her book and register to receive stories and other goodies at her website http://catmuldoon.com/. Purchase Rue the Day from her site or http://www.wings-press.com/ or at Amazon.com. I adore writing, because it gives me the opportunity to share the strange and wonderful worlds and characters that come into my mind. I love talking (in person or virtually) with my readers and with other authors. My belief is that by prospering you, you have more to enjoy and more to pass along to prosper someone else. I am a trained massage therapist and energyworker with a keen interest in aromatherapy, chakra and energy balancing and other …shall we say rare forms of healing. Naturally, I’ve held a load of perfectly boring jobs in my life as well.

In fifty words or less, summarize your spiritual beliefs and how they helped to shape your world view and your writing. (Okay, you can go up to seventy-five).

We take each earthwalk to learn and grow. The more we prosper others, the better for all concerned. I honor the powers of life and strive to be a healing presence in the world. My writing will stick with you because spiritually there is always something going on below the surface. My inner life breathes through the stories... That was 58 words.

Is magic real?
Absolutely it is real. Magic is an unseen power inherent in all of life, as natural as breathing and just as automatic. The more we acknowledge it, the more it grows. My tales do not include unseen realities as a device of literary artifice, or just to make a good story. There is an underlying truth to the tales that is evident to those who innately sense magical power.

How accurate is the following statement? You are the type of person that is tuned into and turned on by your physical environment.
That statement is partially accurate. I am tuned in to it, perhaps in part because I am mostly blind. Because of this, I am extremely observant. Whether I am turned on or not depends on the environment. Where I live, I hear birds singing all the time. When the weather is warm, there are tree frogs, crickets and other creatures. If I am in the country, I am what you might call “turned on.” If I am in a crowd or in a city, I am “turned off.” I find crowds and large cities difficult to tolerate. As someone who is psychically sensitive, crowds are troublesome.

Do you prefer dawn or dusk?
If I am up at dawn, I can appreciate being up as long as nature is kind enough to produce a lovely sky. Yes, I am mostly blind but I do see colors and shapes. Ordinarily, I would prefer to be sleeping during dawn. I enjoy dusk and tend to be much more creative at night.
Since we only recently met, I haven't yet had the chance to read Book One of Rue The Day, but it strikes me as a mystical work that has a lot going on between the lines. Could you give us a short summary of The Undercover Heir? What follows Book One?
Let me share something that at first blush may appear to be irrelevant to some readers. It is part of what is happening between the lines. Are you familiar with Celtic knotwork, the interlace design prevalent in Irish and Scottish artwork? There is a deep spiritual meaning behind this. It is not “just art.” It speaks of the interwoven nature of all life. Not merely are all things connected, but they are all interwoven. Pull on one strand of the weave and you distort the whole. Faerie and the mortal world are mirrors for each other. What happens here happens there. Certainly they don’t have computers in Faerie (at least in my books), but the themes and energies mirror. In this same way, many ancient civilizations believed that the heavens were a mirror for below. This is the basis of astrology. As above, so below. You also find it in Chinese medicine and other places. This notion is woven into the book but not mentioned. It becomes increasingly important in the later books in the series. Now you asked for a summary. A young woman named Aislinn wakes up one misty morning; before dusk, she is nearly killed twice, she meets a strange man in the woods whom she does not trust and is taken against her will to a world that she does not know is her true home. Once “home” in Faerie, she meets the mother the Queen, who abandoned her, her father the King, whom she has never met—and finds that they are all in danger. And to make matters more difficult, they believe she is their only hope. Treachery, deceit, poison, and various forms of mayhem keep you at the edge of your seat even as the rich world of Faerie envelopes you. What's next? The King and Queen, true to Faerie nature, refuse to believe that anything could breach the “impenetrable” shielding around their realm. They quickly find out exactly how mistaken they are. Meanwhile, Aislinn has no desire to use or even to possess the considerable magical abilities she has just discovered, but if she does not learn to control her power, she will be a danger to herself and the entire realm. I believe you will find yourself staying up late to finish the books if I do my job well. There is more to come, but a teaser for book 2 is enough for now.

Next Saturday: Part Two. Don't miss it.

Day Ten of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Day Ten on my virtual tour is a stop at The Book Connection, a popular blog managed by Cheryl Malandrinos. Please check it out here.

Here's an excerpt:

What is your writing process like? Do you write every day? Is there a time of day when you are more productive than others?

I write seven days a week from about 8 p.m. to midnight, and am definitely most productive during this time slot. I rarely miss a day; probably no more than 20 days during an entire year. When I'm writing the first draft of a novel, I also spend about an hour the following day, usually in the morning, revising what I wrote the night before.

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard, The Book Connection

Day Nine of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Day Nine is a stop at Plug Your Book. Click here.

Here's an excerpt:

You are a student of Eastern philosophy and mindfulness meditation, both of which weaved extensively into your work. Can you explain how?

Most people have meditated in one sense or another. Just emptying your mind as you watch a beautiful sunset is a form of meditation. In Buddhism, mindfulness meditation is a technique in which a person intentionally and nonjudgmentally watches his or her thoughts and actions, in the context of the present moment. Often, sessions of meditation begin by watching the breath, but any form of single-minded concentration will do.

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard,

Day Eight of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Day Eight of my tour stops at a blog hosted by Theresa Chaze, who is a Wiccan and an author of magical fantasy. Please click here.

Here is an excerpt:

You work has been described as not being for the "faint of heart." Why?

An author — and especially a debut novelist — never wants to lose potential customers. But neither do I want to be dishonest nor offend anyone unnecessarily. When a lot of people hear the words “magical fantasy,” they think Harry Potter — and rightfully so, given the enormous popularity of J.K. Rowling’s ground-breaking series. But people who are more knowledgeable about fantasy know that a lot of it isn’t necessarily kid’s stuff. The Martins, Eriksons, and Donaldsons write for adults, as do I. If my books were made into a series of movies (I wish!), the movies would be R-rated. I describe The Death Wizard Chronicles as a cross between J.R.R. Tolkien and Stephen King – Tolkien because it contains many aspects of epic fantasy, King because it’s pretty darn scary and rough. The Death Wizard Chronicles is a classic tale of good versus evil, with lots of action, monsters, and magic. It also contains a very compelling love story. But it's not for kids. I would say that 18 and older would be okay, though everyone is different in terms of what they might or might not find offensive.

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard, Theresa Chaze

Day seven of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Day Seven of my virtual tour is at Paperback Writer. Click here.

Here is an excerpt:

What struggles have you had on the road to being published?
First-time fiction is an extremely difficult sell nowadays, especially in the glutted genres such as epic fantasy. My agent and I received a lot of nicely worded rejections from the major houses, most of which only have one or two slots for literally thousands of entries. In some regards, it would be easier to win the lottery, buy the publishing house, appoint yourself president, and then publish your book than it would be to gain an acceptance in the traditional manner.
I can’t say that it doesn’t wear on you. There are times when you feel like the world’s biggest idiot for even attempting such a thing. All you can do is continue to try.

Please check it out.

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard, Paperback Writer

Day six of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Day Six finds me at The Writer's Life, hosted by the indomitable Dorothy Thompson. Here, I talk about how my main character, Torg, would fit into today's modern society. My answer might surprise you. Please check it out here.
epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard, The Writer's Life

Book Three is available for purchase

Book Three (Eve of War) of my six-book series now is available for purchase on Rain Publishing Inc.'s website. Please click here. It is not yet available on Amazon, but should be available there within a couple of weeks.

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard, Leicester Review of Books

Day five of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Day five of my virtual tour is a stop at Leicester Review of Books (here). Here's a snippet from the interview:

Who is your target audience?

My target audience is anyone who likes action-packed epic fantasy, but it extends beyond that.

The DW Chronicles is literary in nature and has a lot going on between the lines in terms of symbolism, foreshadowing, parallel construction, and allegorical elements. So anyone who enjoys reading literature also will enjoy my series. I believe it will stand the test of time. I just hope I’m not one of those authors who dies of old age before my work is discovered by the masses!

Please stop by and read the rest!

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard, Leicester Review of Books

Day four of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Today's appearance is at Acme Authors Link (here), where I discuss making millions of dollars and spending the summer with green hair. Please check it out.

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard, Acme Authors Link

Day three of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Day three of my virtual tour is an interview with Beyond The Books (here), a popular site about writers and for writers. Please give it a read and leave a comment. I'd much appreciate it.

This taken directly from the site:
"Beyond the Books explores what it is that writers go through for publication and how they keep their heads above the waters of rejection."

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard, Beyond The Books

Day Two of my virtual tour of the blogosphere

Hey, everybody! I just wanted to keep you in touch on my monthlong whirlwind virtual tour of the blogosphere. Day Two can be found here. I'll be posting something every day until the end of the month, for anyone who might be interested.

By the way, I've mentioned before that my books have sold out on Amazon. More will be on the way, but it's taking longer than anticipated for the next shipment to arrive. So, you could order my books on Amazon here and wait a few weeks for delivery. Or order them directly from my publisher here and get them in time for Christmas.

Either way would be great by me!

epic fantasy, Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard

Jim Melvin's virtual tour begins

Day One of my virtual tour of the blogosphere began today. My tour has been arranged by Pump Up Your Book Promotion, run by CEO/Founder Dorothy Thompson. My first of at least 18 stops has been an ongoing visit with The Writer's Life Author Talks, an influential group of writers and readers that was founded in 2004 and that meets regularly on Yahoo. Please check it out here. Up next? I'll let you know first thing tomorrow!

epic fantasy,
Pump Up Your Book Promotion,
Dorothy Thompson, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard

A virtual tour of the blogosphere by the Death Wizard

Starting on Dec. 3 (Monday), I'll be going on a monthlong virtual tour of the blogosphere, where I'll be visiting at least 18 different websites, blogs, writers' groups, etc. It's going to be a lot of fun, and it should increase interest in The Death Wizard Chronicles by leaps and bounds. Stay tuned, as I'll be running continuous updates. And please check out this link for more information.

epic fantasy, virtual tour, blogosphere, sexy R-rated, Fear of death, Death Wizard