For the next couple of posts I thought I’d follow up my latest blog by sharing some more interviews. But this time it’s me being interviewed!
In the interview linked below I’m talking to Wombat Books/Rhiza Press Director, Rochelle Manners, about the Blaine Colton trilogy. This brief chat is a nice prelude to what’s coming next time … but more about that then. đ
For now, I’ll hand you over to Rochelle.
Author interview: Blaine Colton trilogy & writing with Rochelle Manners
This post I have the absolute delight of interviewing urban fantasy author, TP Hogan. TP’s unique work burst into my world three years ago and I’ve been a fan ever since. I know you’re going to love her novels too. Welcome TP!
1. What genre do you write and why?
I like to claim âspeculative fictionâ, it covers a lot â Paranormal, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Sci Fi, Steampunk and Horror. It has a lot of wriggle room to be creative. So far I have one Paranormal novel out, and an Urban Fantasy series.
Oh, by the way â just because a lot of people ask âwhat is Urban Fantasyâ â itâs fantastical (with âmagicâ instead of technology) stories set in âourâ world (historical, now or futuristic) rather than a made up world. Think âHarry Potterâ or âFallenâ.
The why is kind of a long story.
When I started writing I thought I would write romance. At the time, I read a heck of a lot of romance, and it seemed natural. I wrote one romance (still to be published â maybe) and sat down to write the second and realised the âboy meets girlâ sorts of stories wasnât what I wanted to explore. I had to think a long time on the stories I actually liked to read, aside from the romances. The long time was because Iâm a voracious reader and thereâs a lot I like. Finally I realised I loved the âhidden worldâ stories – the world in a world, hidden just beneath the surface of what we think is realityâŠand âspeculative fictionâ covers that.
Can you tell us a little bit about your previous works and what inspired them?
Sure. Just be warned, asking me to talk about my books could result in an extremely long answer. Iâll try to keep it short (ish).
Shattered 
This one is a Paranormal story about a man (Bastian Ashcombe) who is trapped behind the mirrors of Ashcombe manor and the woman (Mattie Holmes) who is trying to break the curse and set him free.
This one was inspired by a Jon English song called âCarmillaâ. Part of the lyrics are â ââŠthe man in the mirror says youâre my friendâŠâ and as I heard them I thought âwhat if a woman looked into a mirror and saw a man instead of her reflection?â
Nephilim Code
(Nova, Edward, Zeph)
This series is an Urban Fantasy where Nephilim are real, some want to live ânormalâ lives and some want to rule humanity like they did in the days of old, and both factions are on the hunt for a living Angel.
This one was inspired far too many years ago, long before I even thought I could be an Author. As a kid I loved the stories of the Greek and Roman gods (still do, although itâs been years since Iâve read one), and because the two cultures had many gods who were so similar, I thought they must have once been real people. I didnât think they were real âgodsâ but people who were special in some way. I just never figured out what was special about them.
That was until âNephilimâ came into my sights. In two biblical references (Genesis and Numbers) they are described as the offspring between the sons of man and AngelsâŠand as the âmen of renown and heroes of oldâ. That small description triggered the thought âwhat if this is what made the Greek and Roman gods âspecialââŠthey were Nephilimâ. (Iâve since learned that this isnât an original theory, but I didnât know that at the time.) 
That lead to a little project with my husband (who has a theological background and a strong interest in history and industrial archology) and we tracked a theoretical timeline to see if it was possible for Nephilim to be around in the days of the Greek and Roman gods. As a bit of side-line fun (never denied being a geek) we took the timeline and looked for plausible ways that the Nephilim could end up in Australia.
When we actually succeeded in that (with a bit of poetic licence, I have to admit), it became the inspiration which became the series.
Out of those works, what was your favourite story and why?
Thatâs a hard question to answer. Itâs on par with trying to decide my favourite child. Each has their parts that I love. Edward (Nephilim Code #2) was my first attempt at writing from a male point of view (and a character who is the complete polar opposite of me), and Iâm very proud of how that turned outâŠbut I think I like writing puzzles best. They are the most fun. So that would have to be a decision between Shattered and Zeph (Nephilim Code #3). I think Iâll go with Zeph, that one has a full on âtreasure huntâ style adventure in it and the clues were a lot of fun to set up.
What has been the most difficult part of your publication (and/or writing) journey?
Believing in myself.
To this day, with four books out and one on the way, I feel like a fraud. Doubts are very good at rearing their ugly heads. Iâm not a good writer. I donât write dark gritty, grab you by the throat and spill your blood books. I get confused when someone starts to talk âpronoun casesâ and âsubject-verb-object sentencesâ and I wear out the comma key on my editorâs keyboard. I graduated with an âAâ in high school English, but have no further qualifications in writing. No university degree in literature. I sometimes stare at my page as Iâm writing and wonder if Iâm any good at this at all.
The other day, I finished writing my next book. To get myself out of that world, I went back and re-read the Nephilim Code. I laughed and I cried. And not once did I wince over the story or the characters. I enjoyed it and still canât believe I wrote it.
I love writing, and I love being in a world hidden within a world, exploring the characters and their journeys. I love fan interactions and having the chance to talk about my books with anyone who stands still long enough. Itâs amazing that I get to do something like this, but those doubts can get pretty loud sometimes.
In your writing process, are you a plotter or a pantser or somewhere in between?
A âplantserâ, maybe? Somewhere in between with a severe bent towards a pantser.
I know from experience that working out a predetermined overview just doesnât work for me. It causes writerâs block for some reason. I think because I write character driven stories, not plot driven ones.
My most important prep are my character overviews, and they can take months. If I really know my characters, and what drives them then Iâll know how theyâll react to being dumped into the middle of a plot and left to their own devises.
I like to have an overview of the direction Iâm going with the story. What the important moments are â I call them my story beats. Mostly that will be in the form of a list or bullet points. Iâll have some research done prior which relate to the story beats, and Iâm more than willing to do further research as I go, if needed. While Iâm writing Iâll have a file that Iâll add important details to, so I donât get them lost as I go along. For example, in Nova (Nephilim Code #1), Nova âseesâ Nephilim abilities as colours. So I could remember which colour meant which ability, I created a spreadsheet to keep track of them all.
After that, I sit back and let my characters have free reign. So long as they take me in the general direction of my story beats, then itâs all good. Although, sometimes they do take off on their own, and I donât mind that. If I like where theyâre taking me, Iâll adjust the story beats. If I donât like where theyâre taking me Iâll pull them back into line, which most of the time does mean re-writing, but thatâs half the fun.
What should we expect next from TP Hogan?
What if Thylacine (Tasmanian Tigers) werenât extinct, but were shifters trapped in human form? Thatâs the âwhat ifâ question which inspired my next book, Extinct. If all goes to plan, it should be released on 7th October 2017.
Thanks so much for sharing your writing with us, TP. I look forward to reading your newbie!
TP Hogan writes speculative fiction. This allows her to escape…and explore hidden worlds, inhabited by the creatures of her imagination, and she invites you to join her in these realms. She has penned such stories as Shattered, Nephilim Code and Extinct.
When she does step owlishly into reality it is to mess about with baking ideas, play violin, drink copious amounts of coffee and remember that there is a whole other world to explore, in the guise of the beautiful Sunshine Coast Hinterland of Queensland, Australia. She shares her home with her husband and an ever expanding urban backyard garden.
TP Hogan loves talking to readers and writers and you can find to her on Facebook, Twitter and on her website.
How exciting to be a part of the blog tour for new release Blood Crystal by Jeanette OâHagan. I trust youâve been following along and collecting your scavenger hunt clues (check below for details and todayâs clue), along with prizes offered by host authors along the way.
Following on from David Rawlingâs tour blog, today I have the privilege of interviewing secondary character from Blood Crystal, Lady Zara. Letâs make her feel welcome.
Lady Zara, thank you for agreeing to speak about the recent events below the mountain. It must be difficult living under the rule of Overseer Havilah, as the daughter of the conquered former leader, Uzza. If you don’t mind, Iâd like to ask some questions. Iâll take your haughty nod as permission. No need to glare.
Question one. Overseer Havilah seems to have some âinterestingâ family dynamics to manage with her sons. What do you think of her as a leader? Does she have the best intentions for the Earthbiter people, or is she swayed too much by the opinions of her boys, especially Putarn?
What do you mean âEarthbiterâ? Such a strange and rude term. And donât talk to me about Havilah, a common toolwun with ideas above her station and capabilities. Though you are right about those sons of hers, especially that Putarn â such an unimpressive fellow with a scrappy beard and unpleasant manner, always with an angry scowl. His ideas are simply ludicrous.
Apologies for seeming rude. Iâd heard the Forest Folk use this term and thought ⊠well ⊠perhaps weâd best move onto question two. Scrybe Barekia, who repaired the Crystal Heart during your fatherâs ⊠ah ⊠strategic retreat, seems to have doubts about the crystalâs continued function. Now there are rumours of a sacrifice being required of the âtrue seedâ. What do you make of this?
Well! I have no idea what this nonsense is about the âtrue seedâ, but both my honoured father and grandfather made it clear that sacrifices are needed to appease the Dark Ones and keep the Crystal Heart functioning. Unpleasant as the thought is, it is surely better than the whole realm dying? Iâm not at all surprised these upstarts are having difficulties. When my father puts them in their place, heâll get the Heart working again.
Oooookay ⊠that seems somewhat ⊠alarming, I mean ⊠Question three. The Prentice twins, Delvina and Retza, often seem to find themselves in the middle of trouble. In fact, I understand Retzaâs been quite the hero as far as youâre concerned. What do you think of the twins and their quest to find answers from the Forest Folk?
So they are twins are they? They do seem common and rather blunt, but Retza did defend me and my little brother Jesson against that horrid Javotâs treachery. Excuse me a moment. It was rather distressing incident. Yes, a sip of water would be welcome. Mind you, I was getting the best of Javot. I am quite capable of defending myself and my brother. Still, Retzaâs intervention was timely. Some might find him nice-looking and strong for a common prentice.
That wasnât quite the version I heard fromâ
As for seeking help from the Forest Folk, going outside the mountain tunnels is unheard of. Even if itâs possible, it seems foolish and perilous. My grandfather warned of the dangers of the outsiders and their covetous eyes on our wealth, which is why he closed off our realm many years ago and forbade all talk of the outside.
I see. Question four. You might remember Forest dweller, Zadeki, from his brief time under the mountain when he was brought there by the twins after being injured. How do you feel about Zadeki and his capacity to shape-shift? Do you think his people will be able to offer answers to help repair the heart? Is this something that worries you?
Is that what that freakish, silver-skinned stranger was called? Zadeki? An outlandish name and so tall, but no chin hairs to speak of. I do remember him transforming into a horrid, big, furry creature with giant paws and great big teeth in the Sunken Temple. Jaguar, my father called it. It gives me nightmares to think of it.
Frankly, I am a little worried. I doubt such savage people could help us and what if they decide to come back to eat us all and steal our treasures? But then, such a foolhardy mission to the outside will surely fail. And, any day now, my father will come back and restore everything to how it should be.
I see. Well, thanks for your time, Lady Zara. Iâll let you get back to ⊠whatever it is you do now youâre a guarded prisoner of the new order.
You are welcome, I suppose. I look after my poor injured brother and think of ways we can escape to my father. Iâm not at all concerned with these petty people, certainly not young prentices like Retza.
Blood Crystal Scavenger Hunt (clue #7 below!) will run throughout the Blood Crystal Blog Tour. Each blog will have a reflection or memory related to themes within Blood Crystal â and a related question. The first person to answer all NINE questions correctly will win a $50 Amazon voucher. The runner up will receive copies of both Heart of the Mountain and the sequel Blood Crystal. Follow each post on the blog tour to find the questions & list your answers in the comments on the final blog post of the tour on 28 July.
Next tour blog stop is Adam Collings (Adam does cool stuff like video interviews). Donât forget thereâs also opportunity to win prizes at each blogspot, including this one!
Scavenger Hunt Clue #7: My current work in progress is a YA slipstream sci-fi fantasy novel, parallelling the lives of two young people from different centuries through a peculiar connection. A significant portion of the historical story revolves around mining in Queensland. Mining ventures must entail management of toxic by-products, which historically has not always been done well. An Australian example of an undesirable mining legacy is the pollution of Dee River. What is the name of the mine associated with this environmental disaster?
Blog Post Prize Opportunity: Comment on this post for your chance to receive a copy of one of my YA techno-thriller Blaine Colton trilogy novels, either Integrate, Replicate or Activate â winner (one person who comments who will be randomly selected) gets to choose which novel they receive.
Bio: Jeanette OâHagan has published fantasy novellas, including Heart of the Mountain and Blood Crystal, short stories and poems published in various Anthologies, including Tied in Pink Romance Anthology (profits from the anthology go towards Breast Cancer research); Poetica Christiâs Inner Child; Brio anthology, Another Time Another Place, Let the Sea Roar, Glimpses of Light and Plan Australiaâs Like a Girl. She has practiced medicine, studied communication, history and theology and has taught theology. She cares for her Family, has a Masters of Arts (Writing) from Swinburne University and is writing her Akradâs fantasy fiction series. You can read some of her short fiction here. 
A characterâs quest lies at the heart of any story, with their journey of change driving the plot as they face obstacles to achieving their ultimate desire. One thing that will undermine any character we write is a lack of consistency and a lack of believability. But ever since a recent family holiday in the âLand of the Long White Cloudâ, thereâs something else Iâve been considering relating to character development.
I think most of us are aware that people donât behave in the way they do for no reason. We all have a history that predisposes us to certain behavioural patterns, deeply embedded in our thought processes and emotions. For example, children whoâve experienced trauma often, in turn, behave in ways that are unhealthy. Trauma makes as much of a wound on the brain as a physical injury. Even experiences that, to an adult, might seem inconsequential, can profoundly affected a childâs (and ultimately adultâs) behaviour and way of perceiving life. It stands to reason that these types of pain-based behaviours can be difficult to manage, but once identified, the brain can be ârewiredâ over time by making different choices. Each positive choice makes a small change in the brain. And small changes, over time, make big ones.
Something I find frustrating as a reader is when a character whose entire life has been dictated by negative behaviours, suddenly changes, and then the story is resolved. Now, I’m not denying people can experience profound shifts in thinking over short periods of time, or even significant emotional healing, but more often than not, thereâs a dogged grappling with pain-based patterns over time, before the positive choices outweigh the negative wiring of the past.
Just as a child can be damaged emotionally or mentally by being forced to grow up too fast, whether that be through exposure to adult concepts too early or, as mentioned above, through trauma, so our characters can come across as weak and untrustworthy if they change too fast, or without appropriate context and conditions justifying that change.
But how does this relate to our holiday in NZ? While touring, we visited a Redwood forest. The redwood seed had been brought over from America to grow trees to produce wood for use in construction and other such applications. Unfortunately, the NZ climate wasnât the same as that from which the trees were brought. The trees grew too fast, leaving the inner core soft and unusable for the purpose it was intended.
Like those magnificent redwood trees, a character can be fleshed out to look every bit the part theyâve been developed to play in a story, but if they donât go through challenge- or condition-appropriate growth, a reader wonât buy it. I think youâll agree, thereâs something about a characterâs inner struggle that builds convincing inner strength, developing rapport with a reader. I do love stories where characters rise above overwhelming odds, but letâs ensure we give our literary heroes opportunity to develop sufficient core strength to make the distance.
Picture a defenceless child being dragged from their home by members of their community – people they trust and love. They scream as they are held down, and again as a cruel blade pierces their skin. They beg for help as their beloved mother looks on in tears, immobile. Everyone gathered hears their pain, witnesses their shame.
And no one
did anything
to stop it.
These are some of the concluding lines of my poem Severed from the Veils, Halos and Shackles (VH&S) anthology. This statement translates the wave of helplessness I experienced upon reading an article on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), written by an aid worker in Africa. I knew about FGM, was aware it happened, but reading that article as a young mother made the practice horrifyingly personal.
My heart broke for the child who had been assaulted. Worse, there was nothing I could do to change it for them. Images plagued my mind, playing out the attack, watching the little oneâs terror, hearing their cries. It challenged my comfortable existence, safe from such atrocities. Out of these roiling emotions I wrote Severed.
That was many years ago, well before the remarkable VH&S project had been birthed. What difference could one poem make? Yet, I felt I must pen those words.
Then, thanks to visionaries Charles Fishman and Smita Sahay, poets worldwide were invited to contribute to a unique work focussed on the empowerment of women by sharing stories of the oppression against them. Through Charlesâ and Smitaâs persistence and dedication, VH&S came to have form and eventually found a home at Kasva Press, Israel.
One could say each poem is just one of hundreds in a single work. One could say this poetry anthology is one of countless others. But in May 2015, while VH&S was still going through the publication process, Nigeria banned FGM. What a timely reminder of the need for this publication and the power of using oneâs voice to instigate change. Other countries are gradually following suit in banning the practice of FGM.
To quote from the VH&S site:
Veils, Halos & Shackles aims not only to make a statement, but to make a differenceâto shock, to startle, and above all, to inspire.
On her recent blog post, editor, former psychology academic and writer, Nola Passmore, reflected on her VH&S poem Petals, a reminder of hope in the midst of destructive abuse and pain. Our fellow South East Queensland contributor, gifted poet and author, Catherine Sercombe (also writing as Mazzy Adams), will follow this post on her blog on October 5, in anticipation of our online launch on October 8. Like the dozens of poets who have contributed over 240 poems to VH&S, each of us have a voice. Yes, we alone are only one, but one voice can apply a balm of healing words. One voice can inspire others to speak up. Over time, one voice can change the world.
