Interview with Coral Moore by Katie French 02/21/2012
 Please welcome Coral Moore, author of Broods of Fenrir, an urban fantasy adventure.
Katie: On your website you call Broods of Fenrir an urban fantasy adventure. Can you define that genre for us? What about your novel settles it in that category? Coral: I've never been asked that, what a great question! Well, I had a lot of trouble figuring out where Broods belonged after I wrote it. I was trying to decide if I wanted to put it in Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance. I thought there was a case to be made for either, and I still do. While I was discussing the options with one of my beta readers, she said she thought it was more like a fantasy adventure because of the action and the fast pace. I decided she was right and started calling Broods an Urban Fantasy Adventure from that day on. Adding the word adventure puts the emphasis on the action of the book rather than angst-ridden navel-gazing that a lot of UF gets into. Brand really doesn’t wonder why he gets into the situation he finds himself in, he just takes action to resolve it. Katie: In the wake of Twilight and similar books, how do you keep paranormal romance fresh while still satisfying the mandatory troupes readers come to expect? Coral: It’s really tough. There are a few staples that paranormal readers look for and I think you’ve got to stay true to those. You have to have a hero that kicks butt in some way. You have to have a love interest, possibly more than one. You have to have some sort of magical something that defies explanation in our modern world. Those aspects are like the framework of a house. What you put on the outside and inside can make your house look completely different, but at its heart the house is still going to be a Ranch or a Colonial. From that frame you can go whatever direction you like, and I think it’s important to put your own spin on it so that the house—or story—is yours. Are there aspects of my werewolves that are similar to others? Sure, they are humanoids that turn into wolves. That’s why I didn’t make up some other name for them. I’ve departed from the traditional werewolf lore quite a bit though and I think I ended up somewhere completely different. Katie: Some say the paranormal market is saturated, that the very mention of werewolves and vampires sends audiences running for the hills. What’s your take on the future for paranormal literature? Coral: I’m sure you’re expecting this response since I write paranormal, but I don’t think it’s saturated at all! Like anything that becomes popular or fashionable, there are a lot of derivative works of the new hotness, but I don’t think that means there isn’t any room for more any more than I think the horror market is full because of Stephen King and Clive Barker. There will always be room for good stories. I think paranormal will continue to grow. What readers of UF and PNR love is that small parts of the fantastic bleed into a world they can recognize as their own. The allure is that magic exists, but we just can’t see it. I don’t think the desire to read about paranormal creatures is going anywhere. Hopefully we’ll continue to see more diversification in terms of what kinds of creatures we see and twists on the usual tropes. 1 Comment  In the past five years, the paranormal romance genre has exploded on the literary scene following the heels of Twilight. Vampires, werewolves and other mythical creatures have been brushed off, spruced up and given the sparkle treatment. Though some say paranormal romance is on the decline, Coral Moore’s Broods of Fenrir dashes boldly into well-charted territory and carves its own path. The novel revolves around Brand Geirson, a werewolf living in modern times. Brand is the rightful king of a vicious brood of werewolves that he has shunned for their brutal ways. A lone wolf (pun intended), Brand lives a secluded life away from most of his brood-mates. Brand makes one exception in Alice, a runt of the litter, who was brutalized by another male some years back. Brand rescues her and takes her in. It is here, through his protection of Alice, that we see the kind of man and wolf Brand can be. He is as selfless as he is courageous. Throughout he puts himself on the line to save his weaker brethren from the violent tactics werewolf leaders use to keep their underlings in check. The story heats up when he meets Dagny, the sexy, yet damaged daughter of his former advisor. Their steamy romance complicates Brand’s life dramatically, but he will stop at nothing to protect her, even if it means his life. This story cannot be classified as strictly young adult fiction because the characters are adults and the sexual content gets R rated. However, older teens and adults will find themselves drawn in by the sympathy they feel toward Brand and his predicament. He is a true hero to his core. The sex scenes are gratuitous, but I have to admit kept me riveted. This story is a quick, light read, somewhere around 260 pages. Brand is likable. The conflict is engaging. There were times when the tension dwindled and the setting lost some of its luster, but those issues did not detract from my enjoyment of the story Moore tells. Overall, I’d say for the cost of a cup of coffee, this book is definitely worth the price and will likely keep you satisfied longer than your grande mocha frapachino. To check out Broods of Fenrir follow this link. You can find Coral Moore at her webpage. If you enjoyed this review, you can subscribe to the Underground or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.  AUTHOR BIO Yvonne Lieblein’s debut novel, The Wheelhouse Café, was inspired by songs and stories her husband, Josh Horton, shared about years he spent as an ocean-going tugboat captain and musician. A musical soundtrack accompanies the book. If you enjoy this chapter, you can find Yvonne Lieblein at http://www.yvonnelieblein.com/ The Wheelhouse Cafe
Prologue - Captain John Raymond Thursday, May 13, 1993 Sometimes there’s no difference between sea and sky. Gray meets gray at the horizon, a maddening backdrop for an endless tow. On the day Billy died, I was grateful for the bland seascape that surrounded the Alanna Rose as she motored across Long Island Sound, not wanting the sky to give the waves any reason to sparkle. It didn’t help that I heard about Billy from a faceless voice over the VHF radio. It was the disconnected way I found out about everything out on the tug. Usually, I would imagine every sentence suspended in mid-air before it dissolved into the next one. But that morning, each word landed with a splat on the gray metal floor of the wheelhouse. I forgot Little Hal was standing nearby until he put his hands on the wheel and nudged me aside, “Is the Billy on the Dacy they’re talking about your friend Billy?” “Yeah, it’s Billy. Billy Mickelson,” I said, clenching and unclenching my fists to loosen up my cramped hands. How long had I been clutching the wheel like my life depended on it? Little Hal picked up his plastic New York Mets cup without shifting his eyes and took a big sip of his latest obsession, Fanta Orange. Gray curls sprung out from under the Mets cap that never left his head, and he wore his usual uniform, putty-colored Carhartts and a faded red and black buffalo-check flannel. Little Hal was anything but little. He had a tall, wide, don’t-fuck-with-me build and was a pro at bobbing and weaving to navigate around the Alanna Rose without smacking his head. In spite of his massive presence, Little Hal still managed to give me space in the wheelhouse. Most of the time I was there alone, but once in awhile someone would come up and annoy the living shit out of me. Little Hal, he knew how to be quiet. He didn’t rush to fill the silence with stories about a girlfriend’s ladybug tattoo or wax poetic about some vodka-induced fiasco. Interview with Roz Morris by AB Riddle 02/14/2012
 Roz Morris, the author of My Memories of a Future Life, is a writer, editor and book doctor who lives in London with her husband, the writer Dave Morris. Roz has written multiple books as a ghost writer, some of them best sellers, and has a how-to book about the art of writing novels that is called Nail Your Novel, along with a helpful blog of the same title. I chose to review Roz as a debut author because, even though she has numerous books under her belt, this is the first novel she has published using her real name. I’m excited to invite Roz to the Underground to answer a few questions.
AB: Your book, My Memories of a Future Life, follows a piano player who has lost her ability to play. I felt as though you had a real connection to the passion for music that the main character possessed. Do you have a musical background that inspired you to write with such musical passion? Roz: Not formally. I can amuse myself on a piano, but I can't read a note. Professionals would probably cover their ears. I have had singing training, though it still never taught me to read the blobs. But I love being drenched in sound, or even better, making it. It's not that different from the way I feel about writing and stories - where we create experiences to explore and express the inexplicable. So I found it very easy to inhabit a character who made music her life. I researched what it's like to play professionally and made friends with a concert pianist, who sorted out my misconceptions and led me to even better insights. I got to know some pieces very well - such as the Grieg piano concerto in A minor, a soaring, romantic piece with intricate history for the main character, Carol. I have a good ear anyway, but I marinated in that piece so often that I developed absolute pitch and could sing the note A out of thin air, accurately. I’m so pleased that readers tell me I've captured the player’s way of life. It was love of making music and admiration for musicians that led me there. AB: I was intrigued by the futuristic world that you created through Carol’s hypnosis sessions. In fact, I wanted more. You could have written the whole book about the futuristic underwater world, and I would have gobbled it up. How did you come up with such a fantastic setting?  TITLE: My Memories of a Future Life AUTHOR: Roz Morris GENRE: Literary Fiction PUBLISHER: Self-Published through CreateSpace PAGES: 366 THE RUNDOWN: My Memories of a Future Life is a story about Carol: a pianist who has lost her ability to play due to a medical condition. When her best friend turns to a hypnotherapist to cure his panic attacks, Carol thinks he's delusional. That is, until she reunites with Gene, a childhood friend who is able to put her into a trance against her will. Her relationship with Gene is more of a power struggle than a friendship, a struggle which Carol consistently loses. Every time Gene hypnotizes Carol, she experiences her life as a future incarnation as herself... but even though Carol doesn't believe in the hoax, she finds herself addicted to the hypnotic sessions, longing for them against her better judgment. The first half of My Memories of a Future Life reads like a rainy Sunday. At first, I was spellbound by Roz's writing, but soon found myself drifting off, itching for something more. Carol spent too much time complaining about not being able to use her musical talent, and the plot meandered along in no discernible direction. At one point, I looked at the pages in front of me and wondered if I would be able to slog through the rest of the book. However, about halfway through the book, the rain cleared and I was thrust into dazzling sunshine. The plot thickened and a brilliantly conceived, futuristic world was laid before me. I was alongside Carol, doubting the legitimacy of her futuristic visions, and yet spellbound. I wanted to push Carol away from her power struggle with Gene, who began showing dangerously sadistic tendencies... and yet, like Carol, I yearned for more. I read the second half of the book with urgency, unable to put it down. And the ending did not disappoint. THE RECOMMENDATION: If you're willing to put the time into the beginning of the book, and you're ready to suspend your disbelief a little further than usual, My Memories of a Future Life will be a worthwhile read. The novel has the feel of a modern-day witch-trial with a tense romance thrown in the mix. It has a mild amount of sexual and/or violent scenes suitable for ages 18 and up. THE LINKS: Roz Morris's blog, Nail Your Novel Roz Morris on Twitter Buy My Memories of a Future Life on Amazon.com If you enjoyed this review, you can subscribe to the Underground or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
We are proud to invite Yvonne Lieblein to the Underground for our second Emerging Author post. Yvonne is a writer en route to finding a publisher for The Wheelhouse Café, her novel with a musical soundtrack. She shares poetry via her website, www.theversevault.com, and recently launched a blog, www.yvonnelieblein.com. Today, Yvonne will be conducting a series of interviews with an emerging e-publishing company. At the end of this post, we will include the pitch that Yvonne gave to editors at the Algonkian Pitch Conference. If you enjoy Yvonne's writing and want to read a sample of her novel (and a clip of the soundtrack), please vote for her in the 'comments' section of this blog post. In order for your vote to count, you must have an email subscription to the Underground.
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