Keystroke Medium

In this episode, Nicholas Sansbury Smith (author of Hell Divers, The Extinction Cycle, and Orbs) talks about how he got started in his writing career, how he built his brand, and how to write a thrilling book. As an added bonus, we are the first to see the inside of his new house. I thought we would get to meet the pitbull and the shih tzu, but alas, it was not to be. You will need to watch this one to the end to understand the reference, but I digress.

After listening to Hell Divers on Audible, Josh told me I had to give it a listen, and now I am recommending it to you. The story takes dystopian fiction to a new level. The characters, story and pacing are outstanding and his voice is second to none.

One of the unique things about Keystroke Medium is the openness and enthusiasm of our guests. Nicholas was no exception. He talks, in detail, about development, writing, working with editors and agents, and being a hybrid author (indie published and traditionally published). I started taking notes when he gave examples of how he builds his brand. Spoiler alert, he interacts with his fans and keeps it positive.

If you want entertaining conversation about books, writing, and a marketing, this episode is for you. I came away with a very good outlook on what it takes to be successful in this business or any other.

Please like and subscribe to our Keystroke Medium YouTube channel if you listen on iTunes rate the show!

Thanks for tuning in.

Learn more about Nick's books here: http://nicholassansburysmith.com/

Check out the show archive at our website: www.keystrokemedium.com

Don't forget to subscribe and rate the show!

What do you do when a legend makes an appearance? If you are a writer and a fan of works of wonder, let’s just say...the Runelords...you might want to tune in and have a list of questions ready.

David Farland (author of the Runelords series and the award-winning novel On My Way to Paradise) joined us at Keystroke Medium with one of his proteges, Jacob Cooper (the Dying Lands Chronicle). Readers may recognize some other best selling authors who took lessons from Mr. Farland. The list is distinguished: Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn), Stephenie Meyer (Twilight), James Dasher (The Maze Runner), and Brandon Mull (Fablehaven).

The idea of this special episode of The Write Stuff at Keystroke Medium was to focus on revising and editing. We picked Jacob Cooper because he underwent a major revision of an already published work -- not something many people have the heart to attempt. We asked him to be on our special six month anniversary episode already knowing he brings entertainment and information every time.

To our surprise and delight (imagine us doing cartwheels and high-fiving, though maybe not at the same time) Jacob dropped this casual statement.

“Hey guys, I think I can get David Farland on the show.”

Speechless, then cartwheels.

Here is a question. Should science fiction and fantasy have a new genre name? David Farland makes a good argument for “Wonder Fiction.” The moment he began the discussion on this seemingly small distinction there was a wave of revelation that smacked me in the face. Other genres are named by emotion: mystery, thriller, romance and so on. The science fiction and fantasy genres are designated by adjectives (or an adjective phrase in the case of science fiction, but let’s not geek out on grammar here). No one is saying we should disregard the terms we know and love, it is just a thought provoking observation.

Which is a theme throughout this interview.

I don’t know how much David Farland charged Brandon Sanderson, Stephenie Meyer, James Dasher, and Brandon Mull for his mentoring services, but you can get some of it for free right here at The Write Stuff at Keystroke Medium.

Visit  David Farland's website: http://davidfarland.com/

Visit Jacob Cooper's website: http://www.circleofreign.com/reign/

Welcome to Northern Ireland, where you can drink pints of ale and read great works of science fiction. It’s also home to today’s guest, Jo Zebedee, author of the Inheritance Trilogy and alien invasion novel, Inish Carraig.

On today’s show, we bring you the inside scoop about the third and final book in the Inheritance Trilogy, Abendau’s Legacy and have an depth discussion about Jo’s Hugo nominated novel Inish Carraig. Jo also talks about writing short fiction for the newly released Explorations: Through the Wormhole anthology and what it was like to write in a shared universe.

We had a great time talking to Jo and had we actually been in a Belfast, I’m sure the show would have been even more epic. (And perhaps a little tipsy) Should there ever be a Keystroke Medium world tour, Belfast will be on our top 5 list.

Jo Zebedee writes military space operas by combining her love of the genre with the expert input from actual military officers to get the technical parts right. What struck me during this interview was her concern for strong characters and ability to write darker fiction when the effects of the story demanded it. One of her pet peeves in the genre is having child heroes save the universe then “dust themselves off like nothing happened.”

During this interview we talked about how characters are changed by their ordeal. what inspires her,  writing style, and go behind the scenes of her creation process.

We hope you enjoy this interview, and please subscribe to our YouTube channel and give us some likes.

You can learn more about Jo Zebedee at http://jozebedee.com/, http://jozebwrites.blogspot.com/, and http://absolutewrite.com/.

You can find her books on Amazon here: Jo Zebedee's Author Page

For information on upcoming shows and guests, or to check out past episodes, visit our website: http://www.keystrokemedium.com/

On today’s show, we are joined by bestselling author and newly named marketing director for Draft2Digital, Kevin Tumlinson.  Kevin’s catalog is pretty extensive, from A novella called The Three Reasons to Avoid Being Punched in the Face, to his military science fiction series Citadel, to contemporary thriller: The Coelho Medallion. Kevin has published 30 books across various genres, including a non-fiction title: 30 Day author and we’re really excited to have him on the show.

Check out Kevin's Website: www.kevintumlinson.com

Publish quick and easy with Draft2Digital

Get your Universal Book Link (UBL): Books2Read

Visit our website: Keystroke Medium

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Conflict is the secret!

Meet Patrice Fitzgerald, author of Karma of the Silo, fans of Hugh Howey might recognize the premise and one of the characters. Why? Because the legendary indie author gave her permission to write in his Wool universe and she created a story her fans love. You might also know her from work in Samuel Peralta’s Future Chronicles.

During the interview we talk a lot about books and generally have a good time, eventually getting to our ulterior motive of learning the secrets of creating great fiction. Patrice explains her writing process (which is a great method) and shares some inspiring stories of her writing journey. She’s also like to point out that she likes to organize, but she is, in fact, not organized.

Her latest space opera anthology Beyond the Stars: At Galaxy’s Edge has just released, which features some of the best authors and sports the most spectacular book covers in the genre today. Also, exclusive to Keystroke Medium, Patrice shares some news for what’s coming next in the series.

Along with sharing some insights into her Karma series and the short stories she’s written for The Future Chronicles, Patrice talks about her new project Pirate War Saga, sharing the concept for the series and how she’s putting it all together.

If you enjoy a fun conversation and love science fiction and storytelling, this episode of LIVE! will make your day. Check it out a feel good all day long.

Be sure to get our Patrice’s website: http://patricefitzgerald.com/

And if you’re in the mood to support some great Indie authors, pick up your own copy of Beyond the Stars: At Galaxy’s Edge here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Stars-Galaxys-space-anthology-ebook/dp/B01KVPG7E6

We hope you enjoy the show and we’re looking forward to seeing you next week for our next episode of LIVE! featuring Kevin Tumlinson, Director of Marketing for Draft2Digital.

The best thing about the speculative fiction world is finding storytellers who take readers to new places. Authors come from all walks of life and bring a bit of themselves to their work. What I am trying to say, is many of us have day jobs...rocket scientists, doctors, police officers, military intelligence officers, and everything in between. Davis Ashura has been writing most of his life and recently had success with his Castes and Outcastes trilogy -- an epic fantasy based on the many influences of India. (A Warrior’s Penance has recently been picked up by Audible Studios!)

What does Davis Ashura do when not writing?

He is, of course, a medical doctor. How does he find the time? What does his heritage and his profession bring to his writing? Davis shared some interesting concepts like received wisdom, world building, and development of complex characters (especially antagonists).

I enjoyed hearing Davis talk about India, share his expertise as a doctor, and describe what it took for him to get started with writing. One of the things that helped him, in addition to writing a lot and finding his story passion, was taking writing courses. He impressed me as a man serious about his craft and someone to watch out for in the future.

Since this was a live intervew, we had questions that listeners posted to https://twitter.com/KeystrokeMedium. Jacob Cooper asked about how Davis used his medical knowledge. Davis discussed some interesting story situations requiring a forensic investigator determining the cause of death.

Audience participation really made this episode excellent. (Yes this is a subtle hint that we want you to tune in next Monday for Live! with Patrice Fitzgerald.)

#Bonus: During the show, Davis Ashura explains the awesome meaning of his pen name. That alone is worth the price of admission. #Brilliant

Please visit http://www.keystrokemedium.com/ for more great author interviews.

Find all of Davis's work here: Davis Ashura's Amazon Author Page

Learn more about him at his website: http://www.davisashura.com/

Don't forget to like and subscribe. If you liked the episode, please rate us and/or give us a review on iTunes.

In this episode of LIVE! Josh and I meet Susan Kaye Quinn, an ex-rocket scientist following her dream of being a writer. 

After a foray into the traditional publishing world, Susan soon became a frontrunner in Indie Publishing, when KDP changed the world of ebooks. Love it or hate, many authors have found sizable audiences and successful careers in this brave new world.

The best part about talking stories and books with Susan is, well... Susan. Right now, listening to the show again, I’m really enjoying all of it. Her professional science background and PhD, coupled with her amazing skills as a writer are extremely intriguing.

Life and writing.

Like many who follow the muse, Susan can’t imagine life without writing. She read books and wrote stories throughout her childhood, created serials in high school, and followed her creativity to all kinds of places. Life introduced work and responsibilities, but could not keep this wonderful artist away from telling tales.

During a break at the height of her academic crucible, Susan describes a fantastic moment when she shouted at the sky, “I’m not just an engineer, I’m also a poet!” Even then, she explains, her imagination was getting unruly.

Can a person be both analytical and creative?

Spoiler alert! Yes, science and art are able to cohabitate in one person. Susan has written short stories, novels, and series in various genres. During the interview, she explains the premise for the Debt Collector books, how she wrote them (as seasons, containing nine episodes each) and what the series will look like when it’s finished. This was one of my favorite experiences in an hour that was full of favorites. Her ideas for her books are original and well thought out. Debt Collector went straight on my to-be-read list.

There is so much in this interview it’s difficult to cram it into a simple blog post, so here is a list of some gems you might pull out of the show: methodical writing, discovery writing, word count goals, engaging the muse, building writing muscles, The Royals of Dahria, Singularity Series, The Future Chronicles, writing for anthologies, and a pen name that will not be revealed.

Enjoy!

- Scott

Today on LIVE! Scott and Josh talk with, Michael Bunker, best-selling author of the Amish science fiction novel Pennsylvania and his newest techno-thriller, Brother, Frank.

Michael talks about film rights for Pennsylvania, rewriting and repackaging his older works, and his thoughts on marketing in 2016. Along with talking about his writing process, creating a brand that isn't just a facade and working off-grid, Michael shares his experiences with bringing new talents into the industry and much more!

For more information on Michael's books, check out his website: www.michaelbunker.com

Find previous shows and news on upcoming guests at our website: www.keystrokemedium.com

Don't forget to like and subscribe!

On today's episode freelance editor, David Gatewood, stops by to talk words! But not just any words...the RIGHT words. David shares how he got his start in editing, what services he provides and gives several tips and tricks on how writers can improve their writing.

You can find out more about David and his services, by going to his website: www.lonetrout.com

Check out all the books David has touched, here on his Amazon Author Page: David Gatewood's Amazon Page

If you liked the interview, please give us a star rating and/or leave us a review! It helps the show get more visibility and will help in attracting more people to the show.

You can check out our webpage, www.keystrokemedium.com for links to our YouTube Show, book reviews and information on upcoming guests.

On this episode of LIVE! Samuel Peralta stops by to talk about getting his start in short fiction, building an anthology empire and how he pays it forward and gives back to the indie pub community.  

Samuel talks about his anthology series, The Future Chronicles and how he manages so many projects.

For more on the Future Chronicles, visit the Facebook Page: The Future Chronicles

Check out all books by Samuel here: Samuel Peralta's Amazon Author Page