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Monday 28 November 2016

Our latest brave soul is Kevin Berry ...



Kia ora,
Please welcome our latest victim guest, Kevin Berry. On the metal plate suspended above that puddle by wires is a chocolate fish. Behave and the delicious pink marshmallow fish covered in chocolate won’t end up a goopy mess on the floor.
In the event of an earthquake/zombie plague/or random occupation - you’ll find emergency procedures taped to the bottom of your seat. Yes, just like a flotation device. You’ll also find a Glock 17 with a full magazine.
Remember you cannot reason with zombies and it’s a head shot every time.  



 Comfy?



1. What’s your favorite type of takeaway? (Yes, that means take-out in NZ speak)

It’s either Thai food or burgers. I love hunting around Christchurch for the best gourmet burger places. They’ve been springing up all over town lately. Chips are included in my burger order. Obviously. And I rate Velvet Burger the best of the bunch.

2. Describe your current mental status.

The answer to that depends on the day you ask … even the time of day you ask. It varies a lot. Sometimes I can’t write because of my mental state. Other times, I have heaps of energy and love writing. Like now. But today my mental status is pretty good, because I’ve just won $5,500 on the horse racing this afternoon.

3. I know how I do what I do … but how do you do what you do? 


Not having much sleep helps, as does having a coffee dependency. I work part-time, have two young boys as a single parent, occasionally do editing and proofreading, and still find time to write. Though I’d like to write more than I do now.

4. Could you tell us a little bit about your latest work? 


I’ve been working on three things simultaneously (see, I said I have heaps of energy at the moment). I’ve just published a short book, Quotes on Writing by Writers for Writers. I did two editing passes of my science fiction novel Teleport following comments from beta readers, and I need to re-edit it more. Finally, I’ve started working on an interactive fiction book for You Say Which Way.

5. Do you have a favorite coffee or tea?

At home, Moccona Caramel instant coffee. When out, it’s cappuchino (or a caramel milkshake).

 6. Walk us through a typical day. (Do you make sure you’re wearing your lucky underpants before you sit down to write, perhaps you prefer commando? While we’re discussing your underpants, boxers, briefs, or budgie smugglers. Inquiring minds want to know. Yes, that includes my Admins… we don’t piss off the Admins.)

OMG, is there such a thing as a typical day? Okay. Weekday example. Wake by 7am at the latest, either by the alarm or by one of my children (whoever I’m currently looking after). For the next hour, try to actually wake up, work out where I am, who I am, what I’m supposed to do (I’m not a morning person) … and get breakfast. My eldest son has ASD and ADHD so mornings are challenging usually. Check emails and sports results on the computer. School run. Work for five hours as a software engineer. Reverse of school run. Look after whichever child I have (it may or may not be the same one as in the morning). More email checking because I can’t do that at work. Usually there are several I have to reply to, like to teachers or psychologists about what is going on. Spend time with my child. Cook dinner (at which I am terrible so please do not visit at dinner-time unless you want takeaways). Chores. Reprimand myself for doing only some of the chores, and promise myself I will do more in the future (ha!). Play games with my child (depending on who it is – Nicholas is a genius at Scrabble and Bananagrams, Fluxx and even Star Wars Risk). If I have James, then I’ll read dystopian science fiction to him for 30-60 minutes before bed (yes, sometimes he does have trouble getting to sleep afterwards, but I have to prepare him for a zombie apocalypse somehow). If I have Nicholas, he likes to have a conversation instead and then read in my room with me. After my child is in bed (8pm for James, 9.30pm for Nicholas), more emails, anything else I need to do on the computer, make an appearance on Facebook, chat on the phone to my girlfriend, then START WRITING. If I can manage two hours of that, I’m doing well. At about 1am I’ll start reading, usually on the floor. I go to bed about 1.30am to 2am, unless I fall asleep on the floor first. But doesn’t everyone have a day like this?

7. Tell us about your main character. (How did you first meet? Would you like to hang out with him/her? What delights you the most about writing him/her? You get the idea …) 

As I write different genres, I have different main characters. In Teleport (not yet published), my main character is a female scientist, Maddie. She’s a genius at her work but not a particular good parent and fairly hopeless at working out the motivations of other people. I’d have a coffee with her anytime.

8. Who are your favorite writers?

I’ve always admired Connie Willis for her books Passage (my favourite book) and Doomsday Book especially. I think she’s so good with characters. And Jane Austen for the same reason. Suzanne Collins for The Hunger Games. Of New Zealand writers, Lee Murray is my favourite. There are many more I want to read (I have a TBR list to rival a small library). Indie authors I like include Marsha Cornelius and Sara Furlong Burr. 


9. Who inspires you to do better? (Be as corny as you’d like… just go for it! Mmmm chocolate fish.)

Other writers do. Sorry, it’s not corny … I love talking to other writers, sharing ideas and giving and receiving encouragement. Without encouragement from a couple of NZ writers (you know who you are), I probably wouldn’t have written anything.

10. Do you ever put pants on your dog, cat, or budgie?

Only on my ring-necked parakeet, and only for special occasions

11. Describe your perfect day.

It would have to involve pancakes at a café and lots of coffee. Some writing. Lunch with my girlfriend or with another writer. A nice, long forest walk. A burger and chips for dinner. Time for more writing in the late evening. To date, I’ve never had a perfect day like this.

12. Who is your favorite fictitious villain? Or are you all about the hero? Who do you love to hate?

There are so many to choose from! The Balrog, for its immense threat, came to mind, but that is a monster, not a villain as such. I think what I would pick for a favourite fictitious villain is the demon from Terry Brooks’ The Word and the Void series, because he is so understated and so insidious in his corruption of others—pure evil that creeps up on you.

13. Do you have any quirks?
Yes. Possibly many. Very likely including some of which I am unaware. Answering this is best left to the people who think they know me. 

14. All-time favorite movie and why?

This is hard to answer because there are so many different types of moves. But I’ll plump for Bend It Like Beckham, which has made me cry whenever I’ve seen it, and I don’t really know why. That’s an atypical reaction for me. 

15. Do you enjoy the editing process?

I like editing other people’s work. Who doesn’t? But the standard of writing that comes my way to edit varies considerably from top notch to bottom of the barrel. I don’t mind correcting lots of mistakes in someone’s manuscript if the story is engaging and the writing is good, but plodding through a terrible document is worse than drinking Clorox bleach. Fortunately, the good writers come back and the bad ones tend not to. 

Editing my own work is different. I give it to trusted friends, all good writers, for beta reading one at a time, and wait for the feedback. Anything less than 100% praise can give me a migraine. When I’ve recovered, I can see they are right and I set about fixing my story. I’m prone to struggle with doubt and therefore question the value of everything I’ve done, so I need this outside validation.

16. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

I think if I won the lottery (or it might require winning several lotteries), then I’d like to live in First Class on Singapore Airlines and travel the world for a while. But there is an infinitesimal chance of that happening.

17. Favorite Pizza topping?

Nothing exotic, just swiss cheese and pineapple

18. What were you before you became a writer?

Now you are asking me to reveal secrets. Okay. Here goes.

  • I don’t write full-time, though that is my dream, like many writers (and some I know have succeeded). I work part-time as a software engineer developing risk management software for commodity traders. 
  • I do copy editing and proofreading part-time for clients who approach me directly through my website, or are referred by editors I know in Australia and the USA. 
  • I’ve very recently become a paid horse-racing tipster (under a pseudonym) with a group in the UK. If you could follow my tips, you’d be winning.
  • This year I tried (and failed) to sell tee shirts online. After $500 of costs, I’d sold only one.

In the past, I’ve done a number of other things part-time. Perhaps the most interesting of them are:
  • Tennis journalist and tipster for a national sports paper in the UK.
  • Labourer.
  • Security guard at the Wimbledon championships (for about three days).
  • Visa officer for Immigration.
  • Astrologer.
  • Hypnotherapist.
  • Stock trader.

19. What is the most random thing you have ever done?

I don’t know how to answer this. At times, everything seems to be random.

20.  If you’re not working, what are you most likely doing?

One of (depending on the time of day): Spending time with my children. Eating comfort food. Reading a variety of books. 

21. Who is your ultimate character?

I like to create and write about characters who can make readers laugh, cry, cringe, angry or upset, all in the same book, and never forget them. That’s the ultimate character in my mind. A fictional character who is more real to my reader than their best friend.

22. Whiskey or Bourbon? Red or white wine? Tequila? Beer?

None of the above. I have an addictive personality, so I don’t drink alcohol at all. 

23. What’s in your pockets? (Or handbag, whatever you carry your stuff in. Are you apocalypse prepared?)

Diary (with appointments only partially completed, because I forget to write them in), sometimes a book, notes that I’ve scribbled and tucked away never to be seen again, and a small interdimensional wormhole that swallows money and pens.

24. Laptop, PC, Mac, tablet?

Laptop. I need to be able to take it places, even around the house. I touch-type, so a tablet isn’t good enough for writing.

25. Ebook or tree book?

OMG I have to confess, I buy lots of ebooks, and then sometimes I buy the paperback too. Sometimes I do it the other way around. I have 10 bookcases at home, stuffed full. Thankfully I haven’t got into the habit of listening to audio books yet.

26. Favorite apocalyptic scenario?

Vampire takeover. I’d fight back. I learned to do that by watching this documentary series, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, for seven years.

27. Where do you do most of your writing?

At home, at my desk in my room. It’s not exotic, but as I’m a solo parent I can’t easily go out to a café and write, though I’d like to sometimes.

28. What’s the hardest thing for you when it comes to being an author? (For me it’s marketing but for others it’s the actual writing …)

The hardest thing is reading a bad review. They affect me. I shouldn’t read them,really.

You made it!! Damn, you rock. Now would you like to try for the chocolate fish? Mind the puddles … but hurry. Power surges are common in the dungeon; you don’t want to have one hand on the metal plate containing that delicious chocolate fish and a foot in a puddle...
That laughter you hear is coming from The Knight, he probably won’t flip that switch he has his hand on. Probably …


You can find out more about Kevin in the following places and of course his books are available via our shop and website ...





Friday 18 November 2016

Put your hands together and welcome Debbie Cowens ...



Kia ora,
Please welcome our latest victim guest, Debbie Cowens. On the metal plate suspended above that puddle by wires is a block of lime Kbar chocolate (why lime? because you put the lime in the coconut …) Behave and the chocolate won’t end up a goopy mess on the floor.
In the event of an earthquake/zombie plague/or random occupation - you’ll find emergency procedures taped to the bottom of your seat. Yes, just like a flotation device. You’ll also find a Glock 17 with a full magazine and a KA-BAR, it’s not made of chocolate.
Remember you cannot reason with zombies and it’s a head shot every time. 



 Comfy?

Yes, thank you, although I expect too preoccupied with the looming presence of chocolate to pay attention to current levels of physical comfort. 

1. What’s your favorite type of takeaway? (Yes, that means take-out in NZ speak)


Currently Burger Fuel. I also love pizza but then over the last few years takeaway pizza hasn’t lived up to my hopes. I either remember pizza tasting better than it did, or they don’t make it like they used too

2. Describe your current mental status.

Exhausted. It’s been a long day, a long week for that matter... 

3. I know how I do what I do … but how do you do what you do?

I don’t have a particularly inspired process. I sit down and type out words until I reach ‘the end’. Then I spend a lot of time herding drafts and revisions into a (hopefully) coherent story.

I typically have more stories I’m itching to write than hours in the day to write so the hardest thing is seeing one project through to completion before diving into the next. The ideas tend to spring out at me from nowhere like ghosts of Stories Yet to Write. They jump out when I’m trying to get to sleep or take a shower or avoid burning dinner. Some of the time I’m quite happy to casually think about and play with an idea for a story on-and-off for a while, but more often the stories are stroppy and haunt my mind rather inconveniently until I finish writing them. I suppose writing the story is a like an exorcism, only without spinning head and green vomit.   

4. Could you tell us a little bit about your latest work?

I’ve started working on a P.G. Wodehouse-inspired steampunkish comic tale about a rather hopeless inventor, Gertie, who starts to dabble in the detective business. 

5. Do you have a favorite coffee or tea?

I do love a flat white but my caffeine addiction is such that I’ll drink any coffee or coffee-like substance. Tea is also good. And chai. And green tea. I’m not fussy.

 6. Walk us through a typical day. (Do you make sure you’re wearing your lucky underpants before you sit down to write, perhaps you prefer commando? While we’re discussing your underpants, boxers, briefs, or budgie smugglers. Inquiring minds want to know. Yes, that includes my Admins… we don’t piss off the Admins.)

Workday - Get woken up by alarm. Grudgingly get out of bed and get dressed. Have coffeee. Shuffle through the hectic get-son-ready-and-off-to school routine. Go to work. Teach several lessons, drink coffee in gaps between. Leave work. Pick up child from his school. Coerce child into not leaving school bag and shoes and other sundry items all over hallway and do any homework tasks. Read a book with child. Deal with inevitable mess created by child and sort out dinner. Enjoy eating dinner and family time in evening interspersed with unenjoyable-but-necessary domestic chores. Wake until son is sleeping. Reward self with writing time, shower, reading and sleep. (I did manage for  several years to wake up between 5.30 and 6 every day and always get my writing time in before breakfast but I seem to have lost the ability to wake up or function at that hour now.)  

Weekend – wake up at same time as alarm despite it not being set and sleep-in being theoretically possible. Get out of bed and make coffee. Start writing as fast as possible before son wakes up...


7. Tell us about your main character. (How did you first meet? Would you like to hang out with him/her? What delights you the most about writing him/her? You get the idea …)

My current character is Gertie Wooster, who I think sort of appeared as a delayed Frankenstein creature, stitched together from various elements of what I read last year, my own foibles, and a conversation I had a few months ago about the relative merits of the Blandings versus the Jeeves novels of Wodehouse. I had been re-reading several of the Dorothy L. Sayers Peter Wimsey mysteries and read Book 4 in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurences series as well as Miranda Hart’s autobiography (and Gertie definitely seemed to sound a lot like her when she appeared). I don’t recall the moment of first meeting of Gertie. Actually, I didn’t so much see her at first as hear her as she started narrating and commenting on moments of my life. Pretty soon her own acquaintances and escapades took over the bulk of her chatterings as, frankly, they were infinitely more entertainly than my life. 

8. Who are your favorite writers?

Jane Austen is probably my standout favourite as I can re-read her over and over and never tire of her books. I fear it would be hard to stop if I start rattling off others...

9. Who inspires you to do better?

So many New Zealand writers I know are lovely people and fanastic writers. They definitely inspire me to do better, both as a writer and a supportive member of the writing community in NZ. We have a lot of local talent so often when I read what writers I know (or know of) it’s so good that it can be inspiring in the sense of “arrggh, now I feel desperately inadequate and envious” rather than the more relaxed form of inspiration I would prefer.   

10. Do you ever put pants on your dog, cat, or budgie?

No, but I did put a doll’s bonnet on my cat when I was kid. Ratbag was not impressed and had very sharp claws. I have not attempted to clothe a pet for my own amusement since. 

11. Describe your perfect day.

Coffee, pancakes with maple syrup banana and bacon, a stroll in the sunshine, a chunk of writing where the word flow and leave me with a smug glow of satifisation that they were all brilliant, meeting up with friends for lunch at a cafe overlooking the beach, reading a good book in the sun, a delicious dinner, a bubble bath with a glass of wine, and an evening watching a fun movie with my family.

Actually, I’d settle for just the pancakes.

12. Who is your favorite fictitious villain? (Sorry to disappoint but I’m not fictitious.)

Jareth the Goblin King from the film Labyrinth has been my favourite villain since childhood. He’s just a perfect combination for a compelling villain: dangerous, charismatic, clever, cruel yet sympathetic. 

I also have always found the idea of Professor Moriarty a particularly effective and interesting villain in the Sherlock Holmes stories but he rarely appears on the page. He’s more a source of lurking presence manipulating things underneath the surface.  

13. Do you have any quirks?

I do have an odd tendency to mistake the fridge for the dishwasher and vice versa when distracted (which is a lot of the time). I like to think it adds a sense of spontaneous wonder to everyday life when one finds the tomato sauce in the dishwasher or spot a used coffee mug chilling beside the conditments in the refridgerator. 

14. All-time favorite movie and why?

That’s a tough one. It’s hard to pin down a favourite. The Princess Bride was my favourite film as a kid and I still love it, but now I’m more drawn to suspenseful thrillers or SF film with a noir aesethetic. My favourites would probably be Blade Runner or The Usual Suspects but I really like Vertigo as well. 

15. Do you enjoy the editing process?

Generally, yes. I like the feeling of satifisication when I think I’ve tinkered something into shape. Often the editing itself can be fun, playing around with things to see how they work but it can be terribly frustrating at times too.

16. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

Inside a gothic mansion that contained all the modern luxuries and comforts whilst maintaining a suitably creepy decor. Preferably it’d be in easy distance of a theme park and a beach.

I often find myself wanting to live in the places described in the book I’m reading at the moment. Unless it’s a dystopian post-apocalyptic nightmarish place. Actually, I’m reading Death and the Penguin at the moment and it is making me not want to live in Ukraine in the early post-Soviet years.

17. Favorite type of burger?

Cheeseburger. I’d like to try different, more exotic looking burger but I always come back to the classic cheeseburger in the end.

18. What were you before you became a writer?

I feel like the writing started before I ever got a job so there wasn’t ever a time when I wasn’t writing or wanting to be a writer. However, from fiscal perspective, I guess I’m still in the ‘before’ stage as it’s my salary from teaching that pays the bills, not my royalties from writing.   

19. What is the most random thing you have ever done?

I don’t think I’ve ever done anything random intentionally. I tend to plan and over-think and worry about things and then fall back on doing the same thing I always do. Even ordering at a restaurant can be fraught with anxiety.

20.  If you’re not working, what are you most likely doing?

Reading or playing with my son. Fairly reliable that I’ll be avoiding some household chore if possible. 

21. Who is your ultimate character?

That’s tough because the characters I admire tend to be the one that possess qualities I wish I had, they’re self-assured, witty, and determined like Elizabeth Bennet. However, I’m really drawn to funny characters, whether their hapless fools or bawdy hedonists such as Bertie Wooster, Falstaff, and Nanny Ogg.

I think my all time favourite character is Toad of Toad Hall. I love everything about him. He’s irrespressible, charming, ridiculous, passionately determined and yet utterly fickle. He made self-delusion and conceit oddly endearing. 

22. Whiskey or Bourbon? Red or white wine? Tequila? Beer? 
(Did you know tequila goes quite well with lime Kbar chocolate?)

Pinot noir.

23. What’s in your pockets? (Or handbag, whatever you carry your stuff in. Are you apocalypse prepared?)

My phone. If I going out with the kid, then I pack everything I can into my bag – cash, cards, keys, snacks, mini-pump bottle of water, chapstick, bandaids, painkillers, travel packs of handwipes.

24. Laptop, PC, Mac, tablet, pen and notebook, slate and slate pencil?

Laptop

25. Ebook or tree book?

Both. I love my kindle and it’s great for travel or reading in bed. However, I love paper books, their smell, feeling the weight of the pages. I like to have the physical reminder of seeing books on bookshelves at home. It feels like they’re part of your home and life even when you’re not reading them if you can see them sitting close at hand.

26. Favorite apocalyptic scenario?

The classic zombie outbreak from the Romero films I thinkis one of the scariest but there’s something of a deluge of zombie apocalypses now, so it’s hard to choose a favourite. I thought the depictions of the pandemic apocalypse in Station Eleven by Emily St. John and vampiric virus in The Passage by Justin Cronin were both brilliant.

27. Where do you do most of your writing?

In our office although on many winter mornings, I’ll use the dining room instead as it’s warmer.

28. What’s the hardest thing for you when it comes to being an author? 

Sticking at it when things are difficult and you feel discouraged. Probably true of everything in life for me, not just writing. I’m a quitter by nature and would like to avoid everything tough or daunting and just curl up inside my duvet like a human hedgehog. 


Color me slightly impressed that you reached the end, intact. See if you can rescue that block of Kbar chocolate. Mind the puddles … but get a move on. Power surges are common in the dungeon; you don’t want to have one hand on the metal plate containing that green foil wrapped delicacy  and a foot in a puddle … 
That laughter you hear is coming from The Knight, he probably won’t flip that switch he has his hand on. Probably … 


You can find out more about Debbie Cowens in the following places ...


And of course Debbie's book 'Murder and Matchmaking' is available in store at Writers Plot Readers Read or you can order online.



Tuesday 8 November 2016

Peter Friend, where are you? Come out and play ...



Kia ora,
Please welcome our latest victim guest, Peter Friend. On the metal plate suspended above that puddle by wires is a chocolate fish. Behave and the delicious pink marshmallow fish covered in chocolate won’t end up a goopy mess on the floor.
In the event of an earthquake/zombie plague/or random occupation - you’ll find emergency procedures taped to the bottom of your seat. Yes, just like a flotation device. You’ll also find a Glock 17 with a full magazine.
Remember you cannot reason with zombies and it’s a head shot every time.  



 Comfy?



1. What’s your favorite type of takeaway? (Yes, that means take-out in NZ speak)
Sushi is my once-per-week treat.

2. Describe your current mental status.  

Conscious, probably. But if I wasn’t, would I know?

3. I know how I do what I do … but how do you do what you do?
Press the keyboard at semi-random. Read the first draft and weep. Stare sullenly at the computer screen for hours. Let brain mysteriously fix story problems at 3am, and try to remember them later. Rewrite the story from scratch. Fix all the bits which weren’t wrong before but are wrong now. Repeat as necessary, for weeks/months. Eventually show the result in public and hope for the best.  Start again from step 1.

4. Could you tell us a little bit about your latest work?
My most recently published work is middle-grade interactive adventure Deadline Delivery, set in a post-apocalyptic flooded city full of pirates, crocodiles, and worse.
I’m now writing another interactive adventure, this one about kids who fall into a dungeon exploration computer game.

5. Do you have a favorite coffee or tea?
No.

 6. Walk us through a typical day. (Do you make sure you’re wearing your lucky underpants before you sit down to write, perhaps you prefer commando? While we’re discussing your underpants, boxers, briefs, or budgie smugglers. Inquiring minds want to know. Yes, that includes my Admins… we don’t piss off the Admins.)
Boxers, so my boys can swing in the breeze. Not that it improves my writing any - I don’t write that sort of thing. (Okay, I probably would if it paid well...) A typical writing day? See answer to Question 3. Hours of that, plus breaks for snacks, research, Facebook, and housework, only some of which helps with the writing.

7. Tell us about your main character. (How did you first meet? Would you like to hang out with him/her? What delights you the most about writing him/her? You get the idea …)
I’m writing interactive fiction, so my main character is you the reader. Which is weird to write, breaking a lot of the usual writing rules, but also fun, especially writing about “your” best friends who’ve fallen into the computer game with you.  They're awful, I don't know how you put up with them.

8. Who are your favorite writers?
Neil Gaiman, Frances Hardinge and John Green are my current top three. (I presumed you didn’t want my top hundred.)

9. Who inspires you to do better? (Be as corny as you’d like… just go for it! Mmmm chocolate fish.)
Every good writer (I wanna write like that) and every bad writer (I coulda done better than that).

10. Do you ever put pants on your dog, cat, or budgie?
Certainly not, you sick pervert.

11. Describe your perfect day.
No writing deadlines, a large royalty payment appears in my bank account, and a total stranger writes a nice Amazon review of one of my books.

12. Who is your favorite fictitious villain? Or are you all about the hero? Who do you love to hate?
Nah, every protagonist needs an antagonist, but out-and-out villains don’t appeal to me.

13. Do you have any quirks?
No, I’m completely normal, it’s everyone else who’s weird.

14. All-time favorite movie and why?
Labyrinth.  So inventive, and so insanely logical.

15. Do you enjoy the editing process?
Slightly more than dental surgery.

16. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?
A penthouse apartment paid for with my book royalties.

17. Favorite Pizza topping?
Cheese, coz otherwise it’s just a really really flat round loaf of bread, right? On top of the cheese, pretty much anything except olives or anchovies.

18. What were you before you became a writer?
A small child who hadn’t learnt to write yet.

19. What is the most random thing you have ever done?
Okay, I just rolled some dice. A 1, a 5, and a 2. Random enough for you?

20.  If you’re not working, what are you most likely doing?
Reading or sleeping.

21. Who is your ultimate character?
Dunno, haven’t written them yet.

22. Whiskey or Bourbon? Red or white wine? Tequila? Beer?
Nope, I’m teetotal.  As far as I’m concerned, wine is just grape juice that’s gone off.

23. What’s in your pockets? (Or handbag, whatever you carry your stuff in. Are you apocalypse prepared?)
So long as it’s only a minor apocalypse and my ATM card and phone will still work, then yes, I’m fully prepared.

24. Laptop, PC, Mac, tablet?
Whatever. Laptop/PC for writing.

25. Ebook or tree book?
Both, I’m medium-agnostic.

26. Favorite apocalyptic scenario?
The cartoon Adventure Time - there was some kind of massive disaster around a thousand years ago, but no one knows or particularly cares what it was. We humans have short memories...

27. Where do you do most of your writing?
In front of my computer. And in bed asleep - see answer to Question 3.

28. What’s the hardest thing for you when it comes to being an author? (For me it’s marketing but for others it’s the actual writing …)
Shrinking markets, and a zillion terrible books out there. Rising above the slush to get noticed is getting harder and harder.

You made it!! Damn, you rock. Now would you like to try for the chocolate fish? Mind the puddles … but hurry. Power surges are common in the dungeon; you don’t want to have one hand on the metal plate containing that delicious chocolate fish and a foot in a puddle...
That laughter you hear is coming from The Knight, he probably won’t flip that switch he has his hand on. Probably …


You can find out more about Peter Friend in the following places ...

Deadline Delivery is available from Amazon, both as a standalone book https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019LFO9N8 or as part of a boxset of four You Say Which Way adventures - the paper edition is in stock at Writer's Plot Readers Read.
His next book will also be published by https://yousaywhichway.com/ .