AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Joseph P. Gauthier

1. When did you decide to become a manga writer?

Until GORYO DOG, I didn't have a story specifically meant for manga. I borrowed elements from manga and anime because I've loved them since I was a teenager. GD, though, is the first story I’ve written that had to be done as manga.

2. Can you tell the readers a little about what 10 Worlds Studio is?

10 Worlds Studio is my dream to create comics with my friends, and get paid to do it. That's where it started for me, and that's still what I work towards most. I love comics. I love my friends. I love talking and creating comics with my friends. Finding a way to get paid for it would be a dream comes true.

3. What was the inspiration behind your manga serial Goryo Dog?

A friend and I were hanging out, talking about how you could do an anime with an African American lead. We came up with this story about a black exchange student going to Japan and getting mixed up with fight clubs. I couldn’t let the idea go, but because I’m a big believer in writing what you know, and I never traveled to Japan, I was uncomfortable writing about a place I’ve never been. That’s when I decided to base the story in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo district, and everything flowed out of that. That setting allows me to change things up and depict Japanese mythology in ways not seen before. Because these mythological creatures and characters are in Los Angeles, they are not bound by the same rules as they would be in Japan.
I also use it as an excuse for getting things wrong. (Laugh) If someone says, "That would never happen in Japan."
I can say, "Yeah. But this ain't Japan. It's LA, and shit gets twisted here."

4. Will it end with issue 5 or do you have more planned?

Oh, there's more. We're currently in the beginning of the first story in the first volume. I have plans for a second and third.

5. What are some of your favorite manga titles?

My favorite manga is BLEACH. Ichigo Kurosaki is my favorite manga hero, and what Tite Kubo has accomplished is amazing. I'm sad it's ending, and I will read the whole thing from beginning to end when it's done. I’m also a fan of anything Ito "Oh! Great" Ōgure has done, or is doing.  I like Naruto, but I prefer the earlier chapters. I like that Masashi Kishimoto aged the characters, but I miss the dark and heavy drama with a younger cast.

6. Will you ever write another form of art aside from manga?

Yes. The first comic I published was "standard." It was LAZARUS about the biblical character. I'm focusing iron GD now, but I want to get back to that character soon; as soon as Greg Rucka is done with his book. (Laugh)

7. Why decide to make it online only? Will you ever publish it in print as a collection?

It’s all about the money, and not having enough. It's too expensive for us to print right now, but we want to. When the first volume is done, if we haven’t raised enough by then, you can expect to see a crowd funding page for GOYRO DOG tankōbon.

8. What other titles are you now publishing?

Just GD right now, but my studio partner, Alex Lugo, is working on an exciting horror project I'm looking forward to.

9. Can you please tell the readers what you're working on for the future?

I have a henshin story I’m slowly developing.

10. Would you like to see Goryo Dog made into an anime?

Yes! That’s the dream right there! When I was just starting to develop GD, I tried to produce flash animated episodes we’d upload to YouTube and sell at conventions. Do it real underground. Like Birdman, I wanted to sell episodes of GORYO DOG from the trunk of my car. I couldn’t get the money together, unfortunately. This was before crowd funding was even a thing. Now, I'm hopeful we can partner with an animator or studio that is into what we're doing.

11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

I’ll be more than happy to just be alive in ten years. (Laugh) Creative black men are dropping like flies. I’m chanting to be alive and happy. (Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo!)

12. Are you a big reader? What authors do you enjoy?

I try to read a lot, but my schedule makes it difficult, so I listen to audiobooks now. I choose books, not just by author or genre, but who is narrating. A good book read by a good narrator is an amazing experience. The Harry Potter series read by Jim Dale is still my favorite. I like Stephen King, Jim Butcher, Thomas Harris, Steven Barnes, Jim Grant, and I loved Phoenix Island by John Dixon. That’s just a few. I really bounce around.

13. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

Drawing or animating. I envy illustrators who are also talented writers.

14. What inspired the characters in Goryo Dog?

Anything and everyone. Really. One day, I was working out to an exercise video, and my wife comes in during some insane static movement exercise, and screams, “What is that? That’s not real! He’s making that shit up!” An hour later, I’m writing a scene for GD #12 – Willie Jackson’s first day at school – and he’s taking gym with a crazy coach doing insane exercises, and saying, “What is that? That’s not real! He’s making that shit up!”
That’s what I love about GORYO DOG, it’s the most natural writing I’ve ever done.  

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

That's a good one. According to my wife, three things that surprise her about me are I'm disciplined, childlike, and overly sensitive.

Find Joseph P. Gauthier online via:

Official site

Twitter

Facebook

BLOG TOUR Pt. 2: Interview With Yasmine Galenorn

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I knew I wanted to be a writer from the time I was three years old. I was learning to read and one day, either somebody told me, or I figured it out, that people “made” the books that I loved. And right then, I decided I wanted to “make books”…and that’s what I focused on all of my life.

2. What was the inspiration behind your Indigo Court Series?

The series actually came to me in a dream—I was staring at a painting in the dream, and it was absolutely beautiful. A snowbound woodland with all sorts of odd creatures in it, and a woman named Cicely was walking along a path through the forest. I knew—the way you just know things in dreams—that she was searching for her aunt, who had been captured. Looming over the scene was a spidery-thin, frost-covered queen named Myst, and I realized she was queen of the Indigo Court, a realm of vampiric Fae, and that she had captured Cicely’s aunt. I woke up and wrote it down, and it stayed with me till I realized I had to write their story.

3. Why decide to end it rather than let it go on further?

Unlike the Otherworld Series, I always planned for the Indigo Court to be a finite series. I told Cicely’s story, and whatever happens to her after this (there’s an epilogue set 25 years in the future in NIGHT’S END, so you know what happens ‘after’), it would be a totally separate tale. Her world has changed, and she’s growing into her new life.

4. Can you please tell KSR readers what's next in your career?

I’m finishing up PANTHER PROWLING—book 17 of the Otherworld Series, and next I’ll be writing the first book of the Fly By Night Series—FLIGHT FROM DEATH, the spinoff of Otherworld. After that, I write book 18 of Otherworld. Besides these two series, I’m working on some ideas for a totally unrelated book/series, but it’s still in the germination stages. 

5. Can you tell the readers three things that will help entice them into reading your Indigo Court series?

If you like dark Faerie tales, then try my Indigo Court Series.
If you like unique twists on vampires, visit the Indigo Court.
If you like hot Faerie men, hedonistic vampires, and women who can hold their own, then the Indigo Court has what you’re looking for.

Find Yasmine online via:

Website: http://yasminegalenorn.com/

Blog: http://yasminegalenorn.com/Blog/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/YasmineGalenorn

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorYasmineGalenorn

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/101078.Yasmine_Galenorn

Tumblr: http://yasminegalenorn.tumblr.com/

BLOG TOUR: "Night's End" by Yasmine Galenorn

Eons ago, vampires tried to turn the dark Fae in order to harness their magic, only to create a demonic enemy more powerful than they could have imagined. Now, in a final push, Myst returns with a vengeance to bring the Golden Wood forever under the rule of the Indigo Court.
Newly crowned Fae Queens Cicely and Rhiannon have embraced their destinies and claimed their thrones. But Myst is rising once more, and now, at the helm of her armies, she begins her final assault on the Golden Wood. As Fae, vampires, and magic-born alike fall under the tide of blood, Cicely and her friends must discover a way to destroy the spidery queen before they-and their people-face total annihilation.

I picked up the first two books in the series when I signed on to this tour so I could get a good backstory before reading Night's End.
I was familiar with the name of Yasmine Galenorn, but not her work itself. Night Myst thoroughly fascinated me and it alone gave me high hopes for the series finale.
There was a lot of action, a lot of sex and a great heap of emotion included in this book, especially the first few chapters. The reader will feel Cicely's pain at what had to happen to her husband and friends.
There were points, for me, where the book dropped the ball. Description was either too much or not enough. The reader might be overwhelmed by the totality of the author's imagination. Usually, that's a good thing, but even too much of a good thing can be slightly counteractive to the true intent of any story, which is making the reader use his/her own imagination.
The only other thing I noticed was that the author seemed to fail to find her "voice" for part of the book. Cicely has her own voice,  but some of the characters seem to fall a bit flat, as can the narration at times.
Otherwise, this is a great fantasy/paranormal book and a good end to the series. It perfectly flowed with the series' previous tone. Fans of Galenorn's will love it and new fans will want to discover the rest of her work.

3/5--fans will love this!

Purchase Night's End via:

Amazon (PRINT)

Amazon (KINDLE)

Goodreads

Barnes and Noble

Google Play Books (Android users)

iTunes Books (Apple users)

Penguin Publishing

Amazon UK

Amazon CAN

Read the first chapter and view the playlist HERE .

Yasmine Galenorn is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of the Otherworld (Sisters of the Moon), the Indigo Court and the upcoming Fly By Night urban fantasy series. In the past, she also wrote two mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime (one under the pen name of India Ink) and eight nonfiction metaphysical books.

Yasmine is a caffeine junkie (iced, quad shot, almond milk sugar free no whip lattes), and describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos--the former in her china closet, the latter on her skin.

She is a shamanic witch, has been married to Samwise Galenorn since 1993, is the mother of four cats, and they reside in Kirkland WA.

Website & Social Media:

Website: http://yasminegalenorn.com/

Blog: http://yasminegalenorn.com/Blog/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/YasmineGalenorn

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorYasmineGalenorn

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/101078.Yasmine_Galenorn

Tumblr: http://yasminegalenorn.tumblr.com/

Tour-wide Grand Prize contest: Below is the rafflecopter link for a tour-wide prize, offered by Yasmine. The prize basket includes a Kindle Paperwhite and other goodies. The tour-wide contest will begin on June 29th, and will run through the end of the day on July 7th. Winner will be chosen and notified via email on July 8th.

Enter Here To Win A Prize Basket From Yasmine Galenorn: Featuring A Kindle Paperwhite!



CONTEST:

I will be giving away one (1) FREE print copy of Night's End by the end of day on July 11th! Comment me here and I will choose a winner to forward to Yasmine's publisher so you can receive your book! Best wishes!

MANGA REVIEW: "Goryo Dog #5"

Writer: Joseph P. Gauthier
Artist: Zahdian Arief Arizky
Letters: Alex Lugo
Cover: Anthony Van Den Risen
Publisher: 10 Worlds Studio

Goryo Dog is a digital serial manga available for a small donation on the 10 Worlds Studio website (link below), and in issue #5 we see teen fighter Willie Jackson's "deal" (see my review of issue #4) come to life as he enters a horribly unfair fight.
The demon he let in takes over in battle, but, as he returns to normal, another fighter threatens him.
Meanwhile, a hunter (a sickeningly cute teenage girl, in keeping with the true manga fashion) is investigating the haunted Yamato no Orochi Secondary School, guided by, what appears to be, a disembodied voice.

This story ends on a terrifying cliffhanger that has even left me waiting for the next installment.
The story has strengthened greatly since issue #1 and you can plainly see how the creators became more comfortable with the story and characters as time went on.
Stunning art and tantalizing story. Definitely pick this up!

5/5--great work!

Read Goryo Dog and leave a donation via 10 Worlds Studio official site .

BLOG TOUR/REVIEW: "The Obsidian Collection"

Nine authors. Nine dark-love novellas.

The wicked have never looked so good...

Obsidian Escape by Rebel Adams: A vulnerable woman is beaten by her husband and jer only hope for justice lies, not just within herself, but with the handsome detective working her case.
Can she restart a new life when her abuser has itit outout for her and her new lover? Great story full of suspense. Fans of Law & Order: SVU will love it (and you may find yourself picturing Chris Meloni in the male lead haha)!

Bio: Rebel Adams is writer and lover of good prose, better cigars, well-aged whiskey and fine women-- and not always in that order. Find her online via:

Blogspot

Facebook

Twitter

Obsidian Liquor by Scarlett Dawn: An investigative journalist goes to a charity event to get a big story, but when a Russian mob boss gets her drunk, her priorities change.
It's a sexy story with a dash of danger about right and wrong in both the professional and personal worlds.

Bio: Scarlett Dawn is the author of the Forever Evermore new adult fantasy series, which include King Hall and King Cave. She lives in the Midwest, where she loves to 'people watch' and daydream. She adores her music loud and her fries covered in melted cheese. Find her online via:

Official site

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Obsidian Faith by Bev Elle: Two orphans bond to each other before and after adoption, but when the boy is re-adopted and gets involved in criminal activity, he tries to sever the ties between him and his sexy companion. She, however, is not so easily deterred from the man she loves.
A sweet story where you'll root for the characters from beginning to end.

Bio: Bev Elle is the author of sweet and spicy, contemporary romance. She’s a lover of books–those already written, and those she harbors in her very active imagination. Writing is a passion she’s had for many years, but was unable to act upon. Until now. Bev Elle is the mother of three human children and two canines. She is also the lover of one husband. When Bev isn’t writing in her spare time after work, she is thinking of doing so. Find her online via:

Official site

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Obsidian Heart by Nicole Flockton: A newly single woman goes on a vacation, hoping for a quick hookup to forget her troubles. Instead, she meets an enigmatic rich man with as much baggage as her.
She went to forget, but found something to remember. A very romantic story. I felt my heart clench with the emotions. Great read!

Bio: Nicole Flockton is an Australian living in Texas. Nicole writes sexy contemporary romances which seduce you one kiss at a time. She enjoys taking two characters and creating unique situations for them. When she's not busy writing, she's attempting to keep up with two active children and a busy husband. Find her online via:

Official site

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Obsidian Sky by Lara Henley: She was an Amish kid. He was a city boy. They met once when they were five and never forgot each other.
She escaped the Amish lifestyle; he was finally discharged from the Military with some heavy emotional issues. This is a dark novella about destiny and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Bio: Lara Henley is originally from Oklahoma, but has lived in several places. She began writing in 2009 when she had a dream about a little girl traveling with her grandmother. That is how Jessie Discovers Christmas was born. She then ventured into YA and adult romance. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Marketing and a Masters in Administrative Leadership. She loves all things creative and aspires to have a fulltime writing career. Find her online via:

Official site

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Obsidian Ice by Missy Johnson: A hospital intern recently broke up with his longtime girlfriend because...well, he's just not that into girls! He's in the closet and is crushing on his new boss.
In this story about discovering yourself and finding out what you want, you'll laugh and sigh with pleasure. Great LGBT representation and an enjoyable story altogether!

Bio: Missy lives in a small town in Central Victoria, Australia, with her husband and her confused pets (a dog who think she's a cat, a cat who thinks he's a dog...you get the picture). When she's not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read. Find her online via:

Official site

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Obsidian Jewel by Angel Lawson: The FBI recruits two high-end thieves to steal back a list painting containing the priceless Obsidian diamond. But both have a dark history together, one that could make or break this deadly mission.
A very sexy story whose end you cannot guess. Delectable!

Bio: Angel Lawson lives with her family in Atlanta and has a lifelong obsession with creating fiction from reality, either with paint or words. On a typical day you can find her writing, reading, plotting her escape from the zombie apocalypse and trying to get the glitter out from under her nails. She is the author of five books, including the Wraith Series, Serial Summer, FanGirl, and Vigilant. She is the co-author of the New Adult Paranormal book, Odin's Murder with Kira Gold. Find her online via:

Official site

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Obsidian Desire by T.H. Snyder: A couple has a one night stand after the man's heart has been broken. Three years later they're destined to meet again, this time with HER heart shattered.
Will they save each other or will destiny (and desire) be forever denied?

Bio: t. h. snyder is a 34 y/o single mom of two amazing kids. She lives in Central PA where she works full time for a local business/technical school. Writing wasn't something she ever thought she'd be doing, but here she is. t. h. snyder started reading like a nut after Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey. Since then she's read over 300 romance and paranormal books. In June of 2013, she decided to try her go at writing. She had a vision and went with it....hence Touch Me. To date she's published 6 books and now 2 anthologies...The Touch Series (NA Romance), Pierced Love (YA Romance), Cursed Love, Cursed #1 (Erotic Romance), My Dirty Little Valentine, and the Obsidian Collection. Find her online via:

Official site

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Obsidian Beauty by Emily Walker: After being imprisoned for a decade, a career criminal goes to find her lover again, but he's not in the position she thought he was.
A girl out for revenge, with the aid of a sexy deputy, ensures that you'll be enthralled with this tale of deception!

Bio: Emily Walker loves creating worlds and stumbling around in them. She is constantly losing her chap-stick, and has an obsession with the color pink. Currently a resident of the mountains and loving the view, she writes mostly paranormal fiction and horror. Her small family consists of her red bearded other half, a rat terrier named Rebel, and a cat named Mr. Creepy. Find her online via:

Official site

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads





This is, as advertised, a novel of dark love and some of these stories are very dark, indeed. No two stories are alike, and each will have you with a different emotion in your heart.
You will be left breathless, angry, confused, happy and very turned on after reading this sexy anthology. I read most of it in one sitting!
Some seemed to go by much too fast, as a matter of fact!
I loved that issues like PTSD and LGBT acceptance were addressed and it wasn't all the typical scenario of "guy calls and girl comes running". A lot of these writers are the future of the romance genre!
This is an eclectic mix of romance stories you'll want to read again and again!

4/5--great work!

Purchase The Obsidian Collection via:

Amazon: http://ow.ly/yndK7

Amazon UK: http://ow.ly/yndHN

Barnes & Noble: http://ow.ly/ynb9j

CreateSpace: http://ow.ly/yne9b

Kobo: http://ow.ly/ynedZ

Smashwords: http://ow.ly/ynbbs

Amazon Paperback: http://ow.ly/ynb34

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id891926416

iTunes Short Link: http://ow.ly/yv14r





YouTube

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxUyne-2Fng&w=560&h=315]

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MANGA REVIEW: "Goryo Dog #4"

Writer: Joseph P. Gauthier
Artist: Zahdian Arief Arizky
Letters: Alex Lugo
Cover: Anthony Van Den Risen
Publisher: 10 Worlds Studio

Goryo Dog is a digital serial manga available for a small donation on the 10 Worlds Studio website (link below), and in issue #3,  Willie Jackson's story is continued after his devastating defeat in an illegal underground fight.
When his father's trainer refuses to train him, he is met in a dark alley (where else, haha) by a mysterious man who promises him power and death...for a price.

I love how creepy the story has been getting so far. As a manga and horror fan, I can say that the creators are doing a fantastic job! The art is so intricate and it fits the story's eerie tone.
Looking forward to reading issue #5 tomorrow! Manga fans, hurry and pick this book up so you can say, "I was a fan when it was brand new!"

4/5--great!

Purchase Goryo Dog via:

10 Worlds Studio

BOOK REVIEW: "Torn By Fury" by SM Reine

Elise Kavanaugh (kopis, hunter, incarnation of Eve, Father of Hell) is waging war against the angels, wanting them to repent for their sins in building New Eden with the bones of the humans they've killed.
She can't do it alone, however, enlisting Rylie (an Alpha werewolf who has personal reasons for doing this), and James, Elise's aspis.
But trials litter their already treacherous path, and no one knows if Hell, Heaven or Earth will even survive.

In the tradition of SM Reine's fast-paced, imaginative and intricate novels, the reader is treated to a barrage of action and emotions mixed in with the author's unique voice.
I have always been a fan of Elise's character (and yes, I "ship" her with James all the way back since Death's Hand) and her inner goodness shines strongly in Torn By Fury. She might be a demon, but she's a true hero...even if she has to drop a few bodies along the way! One of the best female lead characters in a very long time.
I think both new and longtime fans of Reine will be delighted with the story. I know I was! The bloodshed was just enough and not overdone, and the characters interact with each other in a way that make you feel as though they're real.
Amazing work, as always.

5/5--amazing!


Purchase Torn By Fury via:

Amazon (KINDLE)

iTunes iBooks

Barnes and Noble (NOOK)

Kobo

Google Play Books (Android users)

MANGA REVIEW: Goryo Dog #3

Writer: Joseph P. Gauthier
Artist: Zahdian Arief Arizky
Letters: Alex Lugo
Cover: Anthony Van Den Risen
Publisher: 10 Worlds Studio

Goryo Dog is a digital serial manga available for a small donation on the 10 Worlds Studio website (link below), and in issue #3 we meet yet another new character, the teenage Willie, whose father was killed in a pro fight. He is training to best the man who beat his father.

It's a quicker read than the previous two, and with a much more compelling focal point, the young boy wanting to avenge his beloved father.
Another great installment of Goryo Dog from 10 Worlds Studio, one that keeps the reader wondering, Just where are they going with all this?

4/5--compelling

Read Goryo Dog (and leave a donation) HERE .

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Philippe Blenkiron

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I've written poetry on-and-off since I was a kid. The earliest literary achievement I can remember is getting a Headteacher's award when I was seven for my relatively morbid poem 'Black and White'. I wrote the odd bit as I was growing up, but I didn't start writing 'properly' until I went to university.
As for why, I think writers have an innate disposition for making strange connections between events and/or subjects--for seeing the world slightly off-kilter or as an outside observer--and subsequently there's a compulsion to simultaneously explore these ideas and expel them onto an external surface, otherwise they just follow you around being weird.
I often see something happening or hear someone saying something, and I involuntarily think, "There's a poem in that." I don't think I have much choice in the matter.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

As a teenager, I was pretty absorbed in the worlds of Tolkien and Anne Rice. I think growing up in Shropshire lends itself to enjoying Tolkien--my best friend and I thought of ourselves as basically Hobbits living in The Shire. I think moving to Stoke and living for a time in Greater Manchester helped to awaken my appreciation for the more industrial, dystopian and post-apocalyptic themes.
I love Cormac McCarthy's The Road and Orwell's Animal Farm, but the epic fantasist in me can't help but be pulled towards George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.
I didn't read much poetry when I was younger. I had some poets and poems I liked from school: Sassoon's 'Base Details', Owen's 'Dulce et Decorum Est', Poe's 'The Raven', Auden's 'Funeral Blues', some Yeats, Larkin and Dylan Thomas--the usual suspects. I always thought Wordsworth was pretty God-awful though.
At uni I went through the inevitable Bukowski phase, and I still enjoy a lot of his stuff, but I reckon Jacob Polley is the best all-round poet these days. He has a great way of mixing the sublime and the urban; it's all moons, owls and concrete - I'd like to see him play around with space a bit more though. I also enjoy the work of Michael Donaghy and ee cummings, but on a day to day basis, I tend to get the majority of my poetry from online webzines.

3. What was the inspiration behind your epic poem novel The Pustoy?

There's a thought experiment in Philosophy of Mind known as philosophical zombies or p-zombies, which involves the existence of people who are physically and neurologically no different from anyone else but lack consciousness--they appear to be and act like you or I, but there's absolutely nothing going on upstairs. That's where the main theme came from--I studied the mind-body problem in my undergrad and I remember wondering, aside from the dualist-monist debate, what the political/sociological implications would be if p-zombies actually existed. If we had a way of telling, how would we treat them?

4. Why decide to write it as poetry?

Because poetry is the best. I've always specialised in poetry, I don't think I ever really learned to write prose properly. But I wanted to write a story and thought, 'why not write it poetically?'. Besides, poetry's less restrictive and spoonfeedy, you can play with space and line-breaks, create double-meanings and put words in their proper place. Generally it provokes a greater variety of thoughts and ideas in the reader, and I think those extra angles help invoke the required slanted mindset for a work like The Pustoy.

5. Will you write more in that particular style in the future?

I think so. It's nice to have a bit of a niche, and I find it an effective and fun way of writing. It would be nice to write a sequel as well--I do have a few ideas brewing, I'm certainly not finished with this world or its characters yet.

6. What is it about extreme politics that made you want to write about them?

I think because it's universally relevant. To paraphrase Pericles: whether you're interested in politics or not, politics will be interested in you. It's not something you can escape, even more so when in its  extreme form. It's scary because it's real. Things like this can happen, do happen, have happened and will happen. I don't want to say that The Pustoy is supposed to serve as some kind of "warning" necessarily, but it is meant to show that the greatest power a government can hold is the unquestioning complicity of the people. The book never explicitly decides whether the Pustoy truly exist or not, or if all accusations are legitimate, and I guess it's because no-one really asks hard enough. Hardly anyone ever does. People often confuse the way things are for the way things ought to be.

7. Do you think it is possible for the things you wrote about to come to pass in real life?

It already has. It's essentially a story about scapegoatism. Hitler chose the Jews and other historically oppressed groups, Stalin chose "enemies of the people". The difference with Solokov is that his genocide is apparently scientifically, metaphysically and economically justified, and is otherwise indiscriminate. Killing people who cannot feel pain or emotions also deals with the awkward situation of empathising with the victims - I think someone who hasn't been declared a Pustoy would only protest the policy because they would rather remain ignorant (See 'Peter Mason' and 'Unwound') or don't believe the government.
It would be very farfetched to claim that the specific political movements in The Pustoy will come to pass (most British politicians lack the charisma to pull it off for a start) but I do think it's very possible for something comparably outrageous to occur, no doubt under our very noses. I mean, the current government seems to be systematically demonising the working class, the unemployed and the disabled community. Let's see where that leads.

8. Are you working on anything that you'd like to share with KSR readers?

As I said before, I have a few ideas brewing, but I'm not currently working on another project. The Pustoy was actually accepted for publication before I'd finished writing it, so I haven't not been writing for very long at all.

9. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

Who knows? I would hope to have a few more books out, to have a doctorate and hold a post in a university. I also like the idea of writing for the stage or the screen. So if any or all of that could happen, that'd be great.

10. With political shows and films all over, would you like to see a live version of The Pustoy one day?

Definitely, as long as it wasn't completely butchered. I'm currently seeing about trying to get it onto the stage. With all the dialogue and monologue-type poems, I think it would translate into a play almost as is. But I could equally see it being adapted into a film, or TV series, or even anime. Obviously its heart will always lie on the page, but I won't pretend to be some literary elitist, I'd love to see it brought to life through other mediums. Writing shouldn't be left to stagnate.

11. What other genres would you like to try your hand at?

I would really like to give medieval or high-fantasy a go, but it's so hard to strike without hitting clichés. I'm not sure what I could bring to the table that Tolkien and Martin haven't already covered. I'll be brave and tackle it one day, but I feel I have to earn my salt in other genres first. Maybe I'll try my hand at erotic fiction...

12. Would you like to see more poetry making it big in the literary market? Do you, personally, think it could happen?

Of course, people are missing out. But it's not a case of getting poets to relate more to "ordinary people" (whoever they are) as Paxman suggests. I think a lot of people have the wrong idea about poetry, they learn from school that it's something to be studied and only exists in some high-literature form. So most avoid it like the plague and never realise how much they, as "ordinary people", could relate to it, how much it could enrich their lives--and, on the flip side, how much they could learn from seeing an "un-ordinary" perspective on things. The problem is with how it's portrayed in schools and the media. I think it could become bigger if it were portrayed in a more realistic and less stuffy light.

13. When you were writing The Pustoy did you think that it would end up the way it did?

The story and the world developed as I was writing it, I never planned it from start to finish. I just wrote as ideas came to me, and one piece would inspire another.
If you mean, 'Did I know it would end up as a fifty-something page book in its own right?' When I first started writing it, no. But I thought I might be able to get a couple of pieces into a magazine or anthology, which is why I submitted three of the pieces to Dagda. When the editor got back to me asking for more, I had a bit of a better idea of how it might end up...

14. Were you to be an elected leader, what would you do first?

I'm not sure I'd really want the job, but if it were thrust upon me, I would reform the democratic process. The system we have at the moment is a mockery of the concept. Practicality speaking we have a choice of three parties, each as nauseating as the last, and people feel they have to vote tactically rather than for who they might actually want (thanks to AV losing out in the last referendum). There's hardly ever any referendums and the party in power can basically go back on its words and ignore the will of the people it serves (why the hell is Gove still minister of education after a vote of no confidence?!)
I'm a die-hard socialist. A living wage needs to be paid to all citizens, more money needs to be put into nationalised services, and a red flag flown from every rooftop...

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

i) Blenkiron is pronounced Blenk-iron (like the metal).
ii) I'm the lead singer and rhythm guitarist in a rock/metal band 'Skybald'.
iii) I'm a complete short-arse at 5'6", and I have a special affection for oak and beech trees.


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Keele University

MANGA REVIEW: "Goryo Dog #2"

Writer: Joseph P. Gauthier
Artist: Zahdian Arief Arizky
Letters: Alex Lugo
Cover: Anthony Van Den Risen
Publisher: 10 Worlds Studio

Goryo Dog is a digital serial manga available for a small donation on the 10 Worlds Studio website (link below), and in issue #2 we are first introduced to two strange characters, Uba and Tanuki, who don't exactly look quite human.
We are given a history of Yamoto no Orochi Secondary School, including its top students from its past...all of whom became serial killers after graduating from the school.
After that we are taken into the fight club and left in a cliffhanger with another new character, Willie.

If you liked issue #1, issue #2 will only succeed in making you toto dig deeper into the checkered past te school and want to know know just who these strange new players in the game are.
I have realy one problem with these issues...they are too short! I want more and you will, too, reader.
You don't have to be a fan of manga to read Goryo Dog. Let this be your introduction to the wonderful world of Japanese manga!

Get Goryo Dog for a donation via:

10 Worlds Studio

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