Today I’m glad to present Garon Whited whose book “Nightlord: Sunset” My review is below the interview.
Hello Garon, and welcome to my blog. Please tell my readers, how did you come to writing?
It was inevitable. From the time I started putting letters together to form words, I read everything I could lay my hands on. I’ve always been most comfortable in other worlds, so I started living in my own.
How did you come up with your stories?
That’s a tough question. I don’t look at that too closely, lest I develop the Caterpillar’s Dilemma. The stories are just there, waiting to come out. My problem is typing fast enough to keep up with my own inner narrator.
Is there a message in your novels you would like your readers to grasp?
Good heavens, no! Oh, there may be some significant bits of wisdom or the occasional life lesson, but those are incidentals, not the purpose of the stories. I’m not writing fables. I’m not even writing Literature. I’m writing stories. If there happens to be something significant in them, it’s there because life itself has moments of significance.
How much of your books are realistic? Are the experiences based on someone you know or events in your life?
Some parts of the books do mirror pieces of my life; others are distorted shadows. Most of them, though, are entirely made up, mixed and spun from my experiences and imagination to make something new. I write fantasy and science fiction, with the occasional detour into horror. I haven’t led that interesting a life!
Who would you cast to play the characters in a movie?
I haven’t given it any thought. I never considered it might make a movie. It’s a big, big book. It would make a better television series than a movie.
But who to cast? My first, blue-sky thoughts on the matter:
Eric: Michael Fassbender
Sasha: Lisa Edelstein
Tamara: Olivia Wilde
Shada: Natalie Portman
Raeth: Chris Evans
Bouger: Ron Perlman
Jon: Ian McKellan
T’yl: Morgan Freeman
Tobias: Tom Hiddleston
Baron Xavier: Patrick Stewart
“Bob,” the Evil Elf: Leander Deeny
That’s off the top of my head. I’ve missed a lot of characters there and thrown a lot of star power at the ones I did hit, but this is a fantasy, right?
Are you like any of the characters (and how so)?
There’s a little bit of me in every character. More in some than in others, obviously. I identify best with Raeth, Jon, and Eric, mostly because I try to be a nice guy… usually. Then my patience runs out and I start to channel Jon or “Bob,” and that’s never a good thing.
Were the plot and subplots completely planned from the start or did they change during the process, and if so, how?
The overall process is outlined, so I know where this is heading. The fun of writing, however, is that I’m not a hundred percent sure how I’m getting there. I have a direction and a map. Now let’s see how far we get before we have to backtrack! That’s the thing that holds up publication, usually. I know where the book needs to go; I just have to wrangle it.
What is your main reason for writing?
The health and well-being of the rest of humanity. Writing keeps me from doing Other Things.
What are the best and the worst aspects of writing?
The best aspect of writing is creating a world and shooting down the rapids of a brand-new story!
The worst aspect of writing isn’t really about writing. It’s about everything that interferes with writing. Laundry. Food. Phones. Email. Doorbell. If I had a nice, quiet bunker somewhere and a ninja butler, I’d enjoy writing even more than I already do.
Please share a little of your current work in progress or ideas for your next novel?
Gideon Frost is a private investigator in a typical Chicago office… but the cases that walk in his door are… unusual. Once the supernatural subculture of the city marks you as someone who can keep quiet—in his case, the only P.I. who knows about the weirdness going on in the shadows—they tend to come to you with their problems…
The night sky drizzled like a wino sneezing down your collar—wet, cold, and stinking. The factory smoke blew in on an ugly wind and made the mist into a grey mud in the air. The first faint traces of frost were creeping in on the edges of the window, a promise of a bone-breaking cold and an early winter in the big city.
I haven’t been in this line of work long. Couple of years. Just long enough to know how ugly it is. Divorces looking for evidence. Affairs and torrid romance. Occasionally the missing lover or kid.
But, every so often… every once in a while… something unusual walks in my door.
All right, pretty much all the time. I get all the weirdness of this town. Everything odd comes through my door, except when it comes through the window. Like the time the parrot came in and asked—well, maybe I’ll tell you about it later.
I knew they were trouble the moment the door opened. The second thing I noticed was her; she had legs long enough to wrap twice around a man’s hips, and the rest of her could make him like it. Everything she needed, she had, in all the right amounts and in all the right places, packed neatly into a bundle so hot that my window frost started to steam. She smiled at me with lips as red as my own blood and with teeth so white and perfect they belonged on a dentist’s shelf. She was wearing black—and not a lot of black, either. There was only enough to of it wrap around her once, and not entirely so. The dress was tighter than a sailor on the second day of shore leave, and what it didn’t reveal, it outlined in detail.
The first thing I noticed was her boyfriend. He was the one holding the gat. Nice one, too; matte black, .45 caliber automatic—or roughly the size of a rocket launcher, since it was pointed at me. It didn’t waver in the slightest, just came around the edge of the door like it was on a track and looked me in the eye, followed by the man himself—tall, dark, pale, wearing a dark suit and darker glasses, hair slicked back like a drowned cat……..
……….“Your hands, Mister Frost. Please bring them into view.”
I shrugged. “Okay.”
I brought both hands up from behind the desk, the .45 in my right and the .38 in my left, both pointed in their direction—.45 for the guy, .38 for the dame. He didn’t seem happy about it. She smiled more, like I’d just made a joke that she particularly liked.
“Put the guns down, Mister Frost.”
“Have a seat,” I suggested. “We can have a staring contest and discuss the weather. Or you can put your gun away, I’ll put mine away, we can all have a drink and talk business. Your other options include starting a gunfight in a very small room or trying to get out that door without getting shot as many times as I can manage. What’ll it be? If it’s the drink, I have bourbon and water, but I don’t recommend the water.”
He stared at me from behind the dark glasses, as though he couldn’t quite believe what I was saying. Outside, there was a skating, skidding sound as a car braked to round the turn onto Grand in the wet; I always expect a crash to follow, but usually there isn’t. Sometimes someone isn’t so lucky.
Tonight, there was luck.
He lifted his weapon to point it at the ceiling and lowered the hammer. He flashed me a smile so short it could have been used to measure his sense of humor. Then he put it into his belt at his back. I expected him to have a shoulder holster, what with the expensive suit. Not a professional, I decided.
“Won’t you please both sit down?” I asked, and put the .45 down on the desk. The .38 went back into the holster mounted under my center drawer.
They sat. I found that I was watching her move; it was like watching a cat that has decided to ignore your little foibles and allow you to pet it.
Sounds like an old film noir with some Humphrey Bogart thrown in for good measure!
How do you balance marketing one book and writing the next?
Balance? You can do that?
Generally, I send out emails to publicist services and go back to writing the next book. When I can’t write because I’m too hungry, I eat and answer any accumulated email. I should probably take more time to be a marketing person, but I hate marketing. I’m a writer, not a salesman!
What do you do when you don’t write?
Eat, sleep, shop, and occasionally play a role-playing game.
Laundry. That’s in there, too. Sometimes. And dishes. Cleaning in general. Then it’s back to writing.
Who are your editors and how do you quality control your books?
I don’t have editors. I do have people who like to read the rough drafts, though.
As for quality control, I go through and proofread, edit, and alter at least four times before I send it out into the world. Typos do slip through, though. If you spot one, let me know; I can correct it in future editions!
How have you found the experience of self-publishing? What were your highs and lows?
The greatest thing about self-publishing is the lack of people trying to tell me “No, thank you; we’re not interested.” Just because someone in a New York office says they don’t want your book doesn’t mean it isn’t a worthwhile read. They just don’t think they can make money off of you. So go publish! People who like it will like it; people who don’t, won’t. The important thing is that you had enough faith in yourself and your story to make it happen
The worst part about self-publishing is marketing your work, followed closely by figuring out how to pay taxes on it all. Advice: hire a professional.
What do you like best about writing? What’s your least favorite thing?
The best aspect of writing is creating a world and shooting down the rapids of a brand-new story!
The worst aspect of writing isn’t really about writing. It’s about everything that interferes with writing. Laundry. Food. Phones. Email. Doorbell. If I had a nice, quiet bunker somewhere and a ninja butler, I’d enjoy writing even more than I already do.
What is your advice to new indie writers?
First: re-read the rules of grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Words are your tools. Know how to use the properly.
Second: Find someone to beta-read your work. You wrote it; you’re familiar with it. If you leave a reader thinking, “What does this passage mean?” you haven’t done your job. A beta reader, unfamiliar with the story, can ask, “What does this mean?” (Translation: “This passage is not written clearly.”)
Third: familiarize yourself with the world of advertising. Get your rabies shots first, though. Those people are crazy.
Who are your favorite independent writers?
Rhonda Mason, David & Laura Martone, and J.L. Gribble.
Who are your favorite authors and what is your favorite book?
My favorite authors are Tolkien, Zelazny, Asimov, E.E. “Doc” Smith, Burroughs, Heinlein, Brust, Pratchett, David Drake, Julian May, Neil Gaiman, Piers Anthony, Christopher Stasheff, Joel Rosenberg, Edgar Allen Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, H.P. Lovecraft, David Weber, Ibid, Opcit, and Anon.
As for my favorite book… you can’t ask me to pick one. That’s cruel. I have lots of books I read and re-read. You can’t make me choose.
What books or authors have influenced you the most? Is there a writer that you consider a mentor? Do you have a favorite?
Again, I can’t really pick a favorite. They all have something that speaks to me, whether it’s a Thing from Beyond or a raven on a pallid bust of Pallas. I don’t think I can define how each has influenced me, but they all share some of the blame.
And as for a favorite… no. I can’t pick one. It’s like asking a child to pick a favorite parent. Shame on you.
Do you work with an outline or do you just write?
I make an outline of where things are going, but it’s seldom more than two layers of bullet points. There’s lots of wiggle room between the first footfall out the door and the last.
What makes you laugh?
New and interesting things, whether they be a surprisingly apt comment from a child or an old idea spun around to make it brand-new. I laugh in delight, mostly, but also when presented with unique and exceptional alternate viewpoints.
Who would you like to invite for dinner?
I’m tempted to say Mahatma Gandhi, since he won’t eat much, but that’s not very Politically Correct. Funny, maybe, but not PC.
I’d probably like best to have dinner with Stan Lee. The man has been responsible for Marvel comics and all that goes along with it for decades. He’s a giant.
Stan Lee is a giant for sure. We attended Plant Comicon in Kansas City, MO, this past spring and he was the biggest attraction celebrity wise.
What would your friends say are your best and your oddest quality?
My best quality is probably my helpfulness. Three in the morning? Flat tire? Be right there. Storm knocked a tree into your roof? I’ve got a tarp, rope, and know how to use a chainsaw. Babysitter blew you off and you have to get to work? I’m on it.
My oddest quality is my viewpoint. People keep talking about this “box” one should think outside of. I’m not sure where this box is. The only box I think inside is blue and bigger on the inside!
Tell us about your other books?
“Nightlord” is a series, of course. “Sunset” is followed by “Shadows,” then book three, “Orb.” Eric manages to muddle his way through a lot of problems in those three—and to suffer loss, find great joy, and occasionally lose his temper.
My science-fiction novel is “Luna.” It’s probably the most cheerful post-apocalyptic story you’re likely to find. Page one: destroy humanity. Matters improve from there; they pretty much have to, really…
How do you handle criticism of your work?
If it’s literary criticism, I listen closely and consider whether or not the speaker knows what he/she is talking about. If they’ve misunderstood the point of doing <insert critical something here>, then I should probably pay more attention to that. If they got the point and merely have suggestions, I note them and consider them while writing the next piece.
If they’re random ranters complaining about “i didnt lik this book you doof waste of time/munny dont buy,” I ignore them.
Either way, I generally don’t notice it. I don’t read reviews on Amazon or elsewhere. I figure anyone who really wants to tell me something will find a way to tell me, not just post randomly somewhere and hope I find it. It’s not like I’m hard to find on the Internet.
Author Bio:
Garon Whited is a single, brown-haired, blue-eyed, white male, six feet tall, who lives alone and keeps mainly to himself. This makes him sound like someone who will obtain his fifteen minutes of fame in conjunction with words such as “axe,” “multiple,” and “body parts.” Fortunately, most of his madness seems directed at defenseless keyboards and harmless bits and bytes. Any screaming involved is entirely his own. He was supposedly born in either 1969 or 1970; the original birth certificate is suspiciously unavailable and other records do not agree. Either way, he is old enough to refuse to eat his veggies, which he does with remarkable consistency.
After spending some years in college playing role-playing games, he finally settled down into a steady job working with computers—and still plays role-playing games. An affinity for science fiction and fantasy has condemned him to write whenever he has a chance, despite therapy involving shocks and rubber hoses.
He claims he lives on this planet but observers have expressed doubt. The exceptions to this are few. His nephew seems to think he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, but that may just be a side effect of Brother’s Revenge, which is closely akin to Grandparent’s Revenge. Or maybe his nephew is correct and most of the rest of the world is just dense. Mr. Whited is siding with the nephew.
Nightlord: Sunset by Garon Whited
I have just finished reading this book. First the author’s book blurb found on Amazon, and then my review.
“Eric didn’t ask to be a vampire. In fact, he didn’t even believe in them. Then he hooks up with a hot babe, wakes up with a hangover, and bites his tongue with his own fangs……. Now he’s trying to hold down his day job while learning the rules of the Undead — the most important being that bloodthirsty urges and predatory instincts are a real bitch…… Upside; Eric has the beautiful Sasha to teach him the ropes, including the magic he’ll need to survive. Downside; they’re being hunted by members of the Church of Light, who are determined to rid the world of vampires…… Then Sasha is killed, and Eric is thrust into an alternate world in his quest to avenge her death. There he becomes a Nightlord, fights a dragon with the help of his magical steed, Bronze, and upchucks a sword named Firebrand……. Soon Eric finds himself at the center of an epic battle at the literal edge of the world in a fight to keep a terrible darkness at bay……”When you fall off the Edge of the World into hordes of demonic Things from the Outer Darkness, you really start to wonder if you haven’t made some mistakes.”
This isn’t my usual genre to read and I was surprised to find out that it didn’t take much time to read this epic length book. Whited’s vampirism wasn’t what I expected at all, which, in itself, speaks volumes for the quality of this book. Eric is “newly born”, and as such he must learn his skills from the beginning. In doing so, the character comes into full bloom, and he loves acquiring knowledge. Eric maintains a sense of humor throughout.
I liked the way the ending was written, and I imagine readers who favor this genre will love this book. Overall, this story is well written and thought out. Whited wrote in a manner that brought the characters to life (or undead life). This story reads at a nice flowing pace and the grammar is great. I highly recommend this story.
Links to Social Media:
Amazon Author Page Facebook Personal Page Twitter You Tube Book Trailer
Linkedin Goodreads Author Page Website
Nightlord: Sunset Nightlord: Shadows Nightlord: Orb Luna
Hello Lauren, and welcome to my blog. Please tell my readers, how did you come to writing?
When Angels Fly 