Song of the day: “Next 2 you” by Chris Brown and Justin Bieber…again. Not that I mind the song, I like it after all, but it’s just a little embarrassing since I don’t know all the lyrics yet. Hah.
Busy day for as far as I’m concerned. It all started yesterday when we discovered that the boiler we had bought for a bargain (it had been damaged during transport, so they took 150 off the price) was too damaged for use. Big brother and I messed with it for more than two hours, trying to fix the problems it had (bent in three different directions, a few missing screws, non-functioning display, and so on and on) but in the end failed in our endeavor. It was really a lost cause, so we packed the bloody thing back up, put it in the car and departed to the city…again.
The positive news of that disaster was that we got a phone call of that shop owner we got milk from the last time. Turns out he had restocked wrong again, and had 175 liters of whole milk that he needed to get rid of. They were a couple of days past the expiration date, but since he is no longer allowed to sell them after, he figured he could do us a favor, for the dogs and us, of course. (He’ll be getting some ecologically grown veggies in the near future, hah.) Milk and cottage cheese, in fact. This of course meant that all that milk had to be processed ASAP…but I’ll get to that later. First the geyser story.
We got the hardware store on time, talked with the girl who sold us the thing, and got to an agreement of exchanging the geyser for a boiler instead. Darn it. We had so wanted a geyser because the three in the house are already drawing more than enough power, thank you very much. Ah well, no helping it. Sally does need her shower fully functional and since the boiler is much bigger than her geyser used to be, we’re going to have to use the angle grinder to open up the entrance of the niche in which it hangs. Boy, is that going to be a mess. That bathroom is tiny, with only a small window and a door that opens inward. *sigh* We’ll just have to wait and see how that works out then. It would have been nice if we’d done it today, but there was all that milk. Hah.
Oh, there was a workout yesterday, of course. It went rather well, even though I was ridiculously late getting started. Since the entire workout now officially takes an hour and a half (if I don’t rush it, which is not good) I was running behind on everything for the remainder of the day.
Got news from the computer repair guys that they’re not sure yet about big brother’s computer. They’re still running diagnostics, and won’t be able to give us a definite price until after Monday. Darn it. Poor big brother. So bravely trying to remain positive, but also clearly pessimistic whenever there’s no news. Ah well, we’ll know next week.
Once at home, it was time to prepare. Cheese making (or paneer, depending how you wanna call it, hah.) Yep, pans were taken out of the closets, half a gallon milk bottles got carried down, vinegar, salt, lemon juice and cheese cloths.
While big brother checked the packets of cottage cheese and threw them in the big freezer, cousin Ed and I started on the milk. Using three bottles per time, the cheese got made and bagged so we could freeze them too. Yay. We did have to get rid of some of the older bags of veggies, but since they are, as of today, boiled in whey and tossed into the small bathtub for the dogs’ dinner, they’re not by any means wasted. Yay.
So yeah, last night, while editing an occasional page, half of the milk was processed into a crumbly cheese that will be frozen for the next few months’ use. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it. Hah. Did get to bed in time (sorta) and had a good night’s rest (sorta) only to start again around noon today. Yay.
First there was laundry, however, along with a nice quick trip into the yard where everything got checked (that last rain did the smaller cabbage plants a lot of good; they were preening) before I head for the greenhouse to open it all up, select some fresh tomatoes which were ripe enough for shelf ripening. We got quite a lot at the moment. Six pounds, maybe. Awesome.
Then it was up for breakfast. Pancakes of whey, which is really nice and incredibly healthy because there are so many minerals in the stuff. And all this while cousin Ed had already started early and had dealt with three new batches. Yay.
My turn, and since I felt like experimenting, big brother made three molds and a press, so we could see what kind of hard cheese we could make of the curd. They’re now, after seven hours of hard work, under the press, and doing fine, I think.
The dogs love this experimental food thing. In particular because they get to clean dishes (now don’t say eeewwww, we wash it afterward) scrape out pans (yes, those too) and basically devour anything that falls, either accidentally, or on purpose. About four hours into the endeavor they were snoozing with fat stomachs. Hah.
Except Chaos and Groovy, the latter of which had found the bathtub filled with food and was hanging in it as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks. Chaos, in turn, didn’t appreciate this form of gluttony, and was trotting back and forth behind the boxer, barking his head off in outrage. Seriously, I could hear him cry, “What are you doing, you vile creature? Why are you eating MY food? Get out, get out, get out!” while Groovy continued on as if he didn’t hear a thing. *sigh*
Tenant came down from her place and sat on my porch for company. The sun was bright, the air not too cool and the sky without clouds for the most part of the day. Perfect outside day. She’s doing better, by the way. Talking clearer again, more THERE, if you get my meaning.
At the moment the rest of the dogs are eating, unsure whether they are able to finish the lavish meal, but sure making an effort. Hah. Heck, even Knight II is still eating.
I better start cleaning up. We made a mess with this cheese making business, and there is still lots to do before the end of the day is there. If am looking forward to that time, however. I think I’m running on fumes again.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
A picture update, of course
(If you scroll to the bottom anyway)
Song of the day: “Crazy” by Patsy Cline. Back to that one, eh? Strange. Had lots of new pop of late and now I’m back to the oldies. Ah well, it’s a good song, so who cares.
Let’s start with a bad news…well, semi bad news, anyway. Tenant, who often has trouble swallowing had a rather bad episode the other day, and due to that she’s been feeling under the weather a bit. Her voice is extremely weak, so we’ve been keeping a hawk’s eye on her.
One of the dogs died. Purna, little sister’s black cocker spaniel who had a liver infection and going through antibiotic therapy just dropped dead the other day. Very sad. Was such a sweet little dog. We got her when she was little more than a puppy, and she was always so cheerful. Little sister is really broken up about it.
Yesterday was an emergency trip to the vet. Rammi (Rottweiler mix) had somehow managed to knock her tooth askew (it was standing horizontally in her mouth) which meant that it had to be removed with an anesthetic. It took the vet less than twenty minutes, but still, poor Rammi was out of it for several hours and none too pleased.
Got pulled over by national police. They were doing some sort of massive traffic check. The roundabout had been cordoned off from all five directions, and basically they were checking every car that came past. They wanted to see big brother’s driver’s license and examined both cousin Ed and me with a flashlight in our faces. Was a bit intimidating, I’ll admit. I hate it when they do it like that. It always makes me wonder if there is some terrorist thread going one, because they keep pulling over small shabby looking cars, searching trucks and people alike. Reminds me of a police state, for some reason, especially with the fully armed back up that always stands about five-hundred yards down the road.
Found a litter of deserted puppies at the local landfill. They’d been dumped in a garbage bin, in a bag, and they were closer to death than alive, and waaaay too young to survive. Most unpleasant. I hate it when people do that. I’m sorry, but at moment’s like those I can’t say I like people at all. I mean, for Gawd’s sake. There were nine of them, and if properly nourished they would have been gorgeous. I’m thinking Pitbull mix, at the very least.
But seriously, if the economy is so bad that one can’t afford to have one’s dog get puppies, have said dog spaded, or at least (please) have the guts to have the puppies put down in a humane (or at least quick) fashion, rather than dumping them to starve in some garbage bin. It is not the right solution, not even if one has the unrealistic belief that some good Samaritan will undoubtedly save them. It is very unpleasant, not to mention painful for those who come afterwards.
But enough depressing stuff. I’ve done my utter most best to distract myself from all this shaite, and will endeavor to keep on doing so. Nothing to be gained from a solid depression.
There were a couple of kick box workouts, which didn’t go disastrous, thankfully, and a good run that had Knight II get his exercise as well. I had planned to do either a workout or a run today as well, but regretfully that didn’t work out at all.
Lots of work in the yard again. I love this time of year for that. Sowed more herbs, because this year I would like to have enough of everything to not have to buy teas. Our own is way nicer anyway. Hah. But I harvested some more broccoli. It won’t be long now, in particular not because we’re letting them shoot through to blooms and they are now like yellow torches in the yard. Next year we want our own seeds…just like the new chard that’s coming up. They’re looking splendid.
Also had a nice harvest of some of our own tomatoes, meaning we went for a salad for one supper, kale with the other, and veggie burgers with our own cauliflower in it. I can’t really decide which I like best.
Had to go to the village to finally pick up my old insoles. I think the docs took pity on me and stuck a new layer on the poor things that were getting to be threadbare from all the wear. Glad to have them back, in particular because they cost me a solid 60 bucks. Hah.
Good edits…at least, I remember two good sessions at the very least. Made progress and on paper we’re now at page sixty. Yay. Lots of distracted, I’m afraid, partially because the days were so friggin’ busy.
Which reminds me: the main project these past couple of days has been putting in my new terrace doors. First day, big brother and I worked on preparing the four doors so they’d be ready for putting them in place. It took some planning, and there were some errors, but after day one we were pretty confident that we figured we should be able to put them in place the next day.
The next day we started early, taking out the old windows and door, cutting open the wall (that scared me a little. What if we calculated something wrong? What if the new slats didn’t hold? What if? What if?) and then starting the strenuous task of putting in the panel windows. Once we had those in, the difficult part started: Hinges. Yep. We had to put in eight of them and that is where the first miscalculation made itself known. The new pieces of wood we put in place to serve as posts were too thin for the hinges we selected. Ended up making the ends into bolts, putting them in place and making thin slats to cover up the bolts. Worked out fine. It was late in the afternoon, and we still had loads to do, but the doors were in place, the locking mechanism in place and working perfectly. Yay.
Regretfully I could not enjoy my first sunset the next morning. The sky was overcast with clouds, and the sun was nowhere in sight, darn it. Still, there is loads of light in my bedroom now, and it is really beautiful to lie there staring out over the valley at night, seeing the lights of town shimmer in the distance.
Since I had to clean up afterward anyway, I took the opportunity to thoroughly scrub my floors and even clean up some shelves. For the moment stuff inside my cabin look neat…sorta.
The last couple of days were spent finishing it all up (in-between yard work and other chores), putting in the threshold, plinths, fortifications because the old solidity of the cabin disappeared and had to be replaced properly. Washing the windows…followed by Lieve (Sitabah’s sister) walking right into the glass, because she thought the door was open. *sigh* Not the smartest of the litter, Lieve.
And by now I’m starting to draw blanks as to what else was done these past couple of days. I’m sure I’m missing lots, but who cares. There will be more days in the future, so I will end this one with some pics of the remodel project of my cabin. Yay.
So I discovered that I didn't have a before shot of the cabin in question (I have two identical ones, which are attached) but the design is the same, so this is how it used to look. A bit on the dark side, if you get my meaning.
Here it's stripped of windows and door. Chaos was looking at me as if I was amputating his leg, or something, and ended up barking at the hole until I lifted him onto the bed where he snuggled into the pillows until further notice.
Stripped too. Such a sad sight...but worth it.
The stationary panels are in, getting closer.
And voila. Beautiful. I love it...even though the dogs don't. They really do hate change. Hah.
Okay, gotta go.
Song of the day: “Crazy” by Patsy Cline. Back to that one, eh? Strange. Had lots of new pop of late and now I’m back to the oldies. Ah well, it’s a good song, so who cares.
Let’s start with a bad news…well, semi bad news, anyway. Tenant, who often has trouble swallowing had a rather bad episode the other day, and due to that she’s been feeling under the weather a bit. Her voice is extremely weak, so we’ve been keeping a hawk’s eye on her.
One of the dogs died. Purna, little sister’s black cocker spaniel who had a liver infection and going through antibiotic therapy just dropped dead the other day. Very sad. Was such a sweet little dog. We got her when she was little more than a puppy, and she was always so cheerful. Little sister is really broken up about it.
Yesterday was an emergency trip to the vet. Rammi (Rottweiler mix) had somehow managed to knock her tooth askew (it was standing horizontally in her mouth) which meant that it had to be removed with an anesthetic. It took the vet less than twenty minutes, but still, poor Rammi was out of it for several hours and none too pleased.
Got pulled over by national police. They were doing some sort of massive traffic check. The roundabout had been cordoned off from all five directions, and basically they were checking every car that came past. They wanted to see big brother’s driver’s license and examined both cousin Ed and me with a flashlight in our faces. Was a bit intimidating, I’ll admit. I hate it when they do it like that. It always makes me wonder if there is some terrorist thread going one, because they keep pulling over small shabby looking cars, searching trucks and people alike. Reminds me of a police state, for some reason, especially with the fully armed back up that always stands about five-hundred yards down the road.
Found a litter of deserted puppies at the local landfill. They’d been dumped in a garbage bin, in a bag, and they were closer to death than alive, and waaaay too young to survive. Most unpleasant. I hate it when people do that. I’m sorry, but at moment’s like those I can’t say I like people at all. I mean, for Gawd’s sake. There were nine of them, and if properly nourished they would have been gorgeous. I’m thinking Pitbull mix, at the very least.
But seriously, if the economy is so bad that one can’t afford to have one’s dog get puppies, have said dog spaded, or at least (please) have the guts to have the puppies put down in a humane (or at least quick) fashion, rather than dumping them to starve in some garbage bin. It is not the right solution, not even if one has the unrealistic belief that some good Samaritan will undoubtedly save them. It is very unpleasant, not to mention painful for those who come afterwards.
But enough depressing stuff. I’ve done my utter most best to distract myself from all this shaite, and will endeavor to keep on doing so. Nothing to be gained from a solid depression.
There were a couple of kick box workouts, which didn’t go disastrous, thankfully, and a good run that had Knight II get his exercise as well. I had planned to do either a workout or a run today as well, but regretfully that didn’t work out at all.
Lots of work in the yard again. I love this time of year for that. Sowed more herbs, because this year I would like to have enough of everything to not have to buy teas. Our own is way nicer anyway. Hah. But I harvested some more broccoli. It won’t be long now, in particular not because we’re letting them shoot through to blooms and they are now like yellow torches in the yard. Next year we want our own seeds…just like the new chard that’s coming up. They’re looking splendid.
Also had a nice harvest of some of our own tomatoes, meaning we went for a salad for one supper, kale with the other, and veggie burgers with our own cauliflower in it. I can’t really decide which I like best.
Had to go to the village to finally pick up my old insoles. I think the docs took pity on me and stuck a new layer on the poor things that were getting to be threadbare from all the wear. Glad to have them back, in particular because they cost me a solid 60 bucks. Hah.
Good edits…at least, I remember two good sessions at the very least. Made progress and on paper we’re now at page sixty. Yay. Lots of distracted, I’m afraid, partially because the days were so friggin’ busy.
Which reminds me: the main project these past couple of days has been putting in my new terrace doors. First day, big brother and I worked on preparing the four doors so they’d be ready for putting them in place. It took some planning, and there were some errors, but after day one we were pretty confident that we figured we should be able to put them in place the next day.
The next day we started early, taking out the old windows and door, cutting open the wall (that scared me a little. What if we calculated something wrong? What if the new slats didn’t hold? What if? What if?) and then starting the strenuous task of putting in the panel windows. Once we had those in, the difficult part started: Hinges. Yep. We had to put in eight of them and that is where the first miscalculation made itself known. The new pieces of wood we put in place to serve as posts were too thin for the hinges we selected. Ended up making the ends into bolts, putting them in place and making thin slats to cover up the bolts. Worked out fine. It was late in the afternoon, and we still had loads to do, but the doors were in place, the locking mechanism in place and working perfectly. Yay.
Regretfully I could not enjoy my first sunset the next morning. The sky was overcast with clouds, and the sun was nowhere in sight, darn it. Still, there is loads of light in my bedroom now, and it is really beautiful to lie there staring out over the valley at night, seeing the lights of town shimmer in the distance.
Since I had to clean up afterward anyway, I took the opportunity to thoroughly scrub my floors and even clean up some shelves. For the moment stuff inside my cabin look neat…sorta.
The last couple of days were spent finishing it all up (in-between yard work and other chores), putting in the threshold, plinths, fortifications because the old solidity of the cabin disappeared and had to be replaced properly. Washing the windows…followed by Lieve (Sitabah’s sister) walking right into the glass, because she thought the door was open. *sigh* Not the smartest of the litter, Lieve.
And by now I’m starting to draw blanks as to what else was done these past couple of days. I’m sure I’m missing lots, but who cares. There will be more days in the future, so I will end this one with some pics of the remodel project of my cabin. Yay.
So I discovered that I didn't have a before shot of the cabin in question (I have two identical ones, which are attached) but the design is the same, so this is how it used to look. A bit on the dark side, if you get my meaning.
Here it's stripped of windows and door. Chaos was looking at me as if I was amputating his leg, or something, and ended up barking at the hole until I lifted him onto the bed where he snuggled into the pillows until further notice.
Stripped too. Such a sad sight...but worth it.
The stationary panels are in, getting closer.
And voila. Beautiful. I love it...even though the dogs don't. They really do hate change. Hah.
Okay, gotta go.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Interviewing Tanner Artesz
Well, the time is nigh again for us to divert of our usual routine on the blog. Yep. I’m gonna cheat (I’ll bring the curious ones of you up to date on the ongoing over here in the next blog) and post an interview with an Indie published writer from the States. His name is Tanner Artesz, and I already once reviewed one of his books in the past, FYI.
So, what to say about Tanner…there’s not much to say, really, his bio leaves us guessing, so maybe there’s something mysterious behind it. Hmmm. What do you think? According to the brief bio he’s a math teacher who spent 21 years in the trenches of the school system. Very brave! He was born in Baltimore, MD (you tell me, is that suspicious…oh I hope so, hah) and now lives in Suffolk, VA.
But let’s get to the interview, rather than me just speculating here. First, there’s the scene to set. Once again I have traveled abroad (I know, I keep dreaming regardless of it being totally unrealistic at this particular time) and because Tanner is a modest and somewhat shy guy, I have opted to meet him at a quiet coffee shop. I arrive before him and have already consumed a giga-sized black coffee while setting up writing stuffs and tape recorder. Drat I’ve forgotten my camera, so we’ll have to go with the only picture of Tanner available online (one picture? That screams spy in my world, but he could also just be shy. *sigh*).
Here he is:
A bit formal, for sure, but not bad, right?
But there he is, coming in and getting out of his coat before we go through the howdos and whatnots and get our orders on the table. Since I’m already flying high on my coffee, I’m opting for tea and kindly wait for him to get a few sips of his drink in before I hit him with it.
Interview with Tanner Artesz by Samaya Young
Q:
Tanner Artesz. A writer by heart, but who is he really? It is not an easy question, nor is it easy to answer, but try anyway.
A: Mostly, I'm very quiet and shy. I tend not to be noticed. I prefer to be alone with my music, books and writing.
Q: The Lord of Chaos trilogy is your creation. When did the idea first take shape in your mind?
A: I guess sometime in the late 1980's when I was playing D&D quite frequently. I started many stories about my characters through the years. I think Archos was the star of most of the earlier ones. The little lord of chaos grew on me as I played him. He soon became my favorite character and took over the staring role sometime in the mid 1990's.
Q: Have you always wanted to become a writer? At which age did the thought first occur?
A: I've always wanted to be a musician, but I have few skills and less talent in that field. I can remember writing as far back as 9th grade. A poem I wrote impressed one of my teachers and he had it published somewhere. I never did get a copy of that. Writing was more of a hobby to stave off the frustration of performing music.
Q:
You wrote an intricate trilogy about a headstrong little elf. How did that come about? How did Ky come to be?
A: As I mentioned earlier, Ky was one of my D&D characters. I played him as chaotic as possible. Some of the aspects of the Lord of Chaos series are from Dungeon modules I created as the characters became too powerful for the store-bought versions. Cragsguard was the main base of those adventures. The diary about the battle in the temple was a dungeon I created and played with several friends. And just like in the book, Ky would 'disappear' on occasion during the D&D sessions.
I played him as a very stubborn little elf, and completely unpredictable. The only thing that the group could really count on was his loyalty. He never deserted and always watched their backs.
Q:
Having read the first of your trilogy I know that your plot is a complicated one. Could you tell us how your process of plot development works? Intricate schematics or more “going with the flow”?
A: I have a basic idea when I start. Usually, I'll write three of four chapters, then go back and re-read what I've done. As I interact with the characters new twists and turns in the plot develop through them. The only thing I really know when I start a story is the beginning and the ending. The characters help me fill in the gaps.
Q:
How many years have you been working on the Lord of Chaos trilogy?
A: I started working on the current version of the story in about 2006. The whole trilogy took me about four years to write. There was another version before that. Parts of that show up in the new version as Delmaria's journals.
Q:
You biography states that you used to be a teacher in mathematics. Math and literature, not the most obvious combination; how does that go together?
A: Math is in everything. I really like working with numbers and am very intrigued with Chaos Theory and fractals. I like the patterns in Math as well. Some are buried in the story here and there.
Q:
In your book(s) a lot occurs in Austria. Ever been there? What’s the fascination?
A: I've never been to Austria, though I'd like to go some day. There's a quote from the movie August Rush that I think sums up my fascination with Austria: "I believe in music the way some people believe in fairy tales." I have always loved music and most of the classical music I listen to comes from Austrian composers; Mozart, Strauss, Schubert, Haydn, and Beethoven (who went to Austria to work). I also believe that there is magic in music. Micah is the character I chose to bring forth that belief.
Q:
Can you name a few of your own favorite authors, the ones who inspired you over the years?
A: Terry Brooks, J.R.R. Tolkien, Piers Anthony, Ray Bradbury, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain and Michael Moorcock
Q:
What is the first book you read that absolutely wowed you?
A: That's hard to say. I've been reading since I was very young. As a kid, probably Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn. Somewhere in there I read "The Old Man and the Sea." I think it was a school assignment, but it became one of my all time favorite stories. One of the earliest I remember from teen/adult times is Dandelion Wine, by Bradbury. From there I read Martian Chronicles and an awesome short story of his called "The Skeleton." I think Tolkien was next. He led me to find more books with elves in them. Terry Brooks followed him.
Q:
Where do you get information for your writing? The Internet, or do you dive into some ancient library and get your hands dirty?
A: Most of what's in my stories is from my imagination. I really did not have to research much. The few bits and pieces of historical correctness probably came from my years in college earning my teaching degree. My endorsement is in middle school education and they expect you to be able to teach all four of the core subjects.
Q:
What do you do when you’re not writing? Do you have a day job?
A: I'm currently looking for a day job. They're hard to find around here. Evenings I either listen to music, watch a movie or play games on the computer.
Q:
How about a hobby?
A: My hobby is collecting. I collect stamps, trading cards, records and CDs, and autographs.
Q:
No man is an island. Who, through the hardships of creating a fiction saga, stood behind you all the while?
A: My three 'editor' friends. All three books are dedicated to them.
Q:
Do any of your characters remind you of people in real life? Did someone inadvertently get a lead in the Lord of Chaos?
A: Two of my friends did. I won't mention who they are in real life, but the characters are Delmaria, Stumpy, and Fury.
Q: What do you consider the hardest part of writing a novel? Character
interactions? Plot? Other?
A: I guess keeping the plot from getting too complicated. I really get into my characters, all of them. Every one of them wants a solo. Trying to do that makes the plot far too convoluted.
Q:
What inspires you?
A: Music. I like to listen to instrumentals, classical, big band, rock, etc. I let my mind wander as I do. The other main source of inspiration is dreams. Sometimes a story will haunt me night after night until I start to write it down.
Q:
Any particular quirks when you write? You withdraw to a safe haven of silence and tranquility, or you seek out the hubbub of the nearest, let’s say, Starbucks?
A: I write at night when I'm less likely to be disturbed. I have a very hard time writing with outside distractions. I will listen to classical music while I write. It calms me and helps me think better.
Q:
Any other books in the making? What’s it about, and will you be publishing this as well?
A: Three. Two are on the back burner for the moment. Those are kaben nine and Cycle of Death. The first is about two demigod siblings and their plot to rid themselves of their father so they can do what they want. The second is more of a paranormal detective thing. The main character is a detective that can read the memories of objects to solve mysteries.
The third one returns to El'elasia. It begins about two hundred years after Vengeance. This story focuses more on Eldar elves and William and his family are the lead characters. I don't want to say too much about it because it would contain spoilers for Vengeance if I do.
I'm also working on a puzzle book. If it's finished before the new installment, all the puzzles will have something to do with the original trilogy. If not, some of the new story will be included also.
Q:
Last one. You have one free hour to do with as you will, what will you do?
A: I would write, listen to music, work on my stamp collection, draw, bang on my guitar or piano, or play some game. If I had two free hours, I might opt to watch a movie.
That done, coffee consumed, some laughter shared over mutual experiences in writing, we say our goodbyes because let’s face it, I have a flight waiting to return me to reality. It was a pleasure doing the interview however, and I hope that y’all enjoyed reading it.
So that was it, the interview with Tanner Artesz, Indie author with three books just waiting to be picked up by some lucky reader. He’s available on Amazon, so do check him out.
Well, that was it for me, I guess. I’ve got work to do. The book to edit, hilarious chats to join in on on the chat forums and…well, I’ll share the next time round.
So, what to say about Tanner…there’s not much to say, really, his bio leaves us guessing, so maybe there’s something mysterious behind it. Hmmm. What do you think? According to the brief bio he’s a math teacher who spent 21 years in the trenches of the school system. Very brave! He was born in Baltimore, MD (you tell me, is that suspicious…oh I hope so, hah) and now lives in Suffolk, VA.
But let’s get to the interview, rather than me just speculating here. First, there’s the scene to set. Once again I have traveled abroad (I know, I keep dreaming regardless of it being totally unrealistic at this particular time) and because Tanner is a modest and somewhat shy guy, I have opted to meet him at a quiet coffee shop. I arrive before him and have already consumed a giga-sized black coffee while setting up writing stuffs and tape recorder. Drat I’ve forgotten my camera, so we’ll have to go with the only picture of Tanner available online (one picture? That screams spy in my world, but he could also just be shy. *sigh*).
Here he is:
A bit formal, for sure, but not bad, right?
But there he is, coming in and getting out of his coat before we go through the howdos and whatnots and get our orders on the table. Since I’m already flying high on my coffee, I’m opting for tea and kindly wait for him to get a few sips of his drink in before I hit him with it.
Interview with Tanner Artesz by Samaya Young
Q:
Tanner Artesz. A writer by heart, but who is he really? It is not an easy question, nor is it easy to answer, but try anyway.
A: Mostly, I'm very quiet and shy. I tend not to be noticed. I prefer to be alone with my music, books and writing.
Q: The Lord of Chaos trilogy is your creation. When did the idea first take shape in your mind?
A: I guess sometime in the late 1980's when I was playing D&D quite frequently. I started many stories about my characters through the years. I think Archos was the star of most of the earlier ones. The little lord of chaos grew on me as I played him. He soon became my favorite character and took over the staring role sometime in the mid 1990's.
Q: Have you always wanted to become a writer? At which age did the thought first occur?
A: I've always wanted to be a musician, but I have few skills and less talent in that field. I can remember writing as far back as 9th grade. A poem I wrote impressed one of my teachers and he had it published somewhere. I never did get a copy of that. Writing was more of a hobby to stave off the frustration of performing music.
Q:
You wrote an intricate trilogy about a headstrong little elf. How did that come about? How did Ky come to be?
A: As I mentioned earlier, Ky was one of my D&D characters. I played him as chaotic as possible. Some of the aspects of the Lord of Chaos series are from Dungeon modules I created as the characters became too powerful for the store-bought versions. Cragsguard was the main base of those adventures. The diary about the battle in the temple was a dungeon I created and played with several friends. And just like in the book, Ky would 'disappear' on occasion during the D&D sessions.
I played him as a very stubborn little elf, and completely unpredictable. The only thing that the group could really count on was his loyalty. He never deserted and always watched their backs.
Q:
Having read the first of your trilogy I know that your plot is a complicated one. Could you tell us how your process of plot development works? Intricate schematics or more “going with the flow”?
A: I have a basic idea when I start. Usually, I'll write three of four chapters, then go back and re-read what I've done. As I interact with the characters new twists and turns in the plot develop through them. The only thing I really know when I start a story is the beginning and the ending. The characters help me fill in the gaps.
Q:
How many years have you been working on the Lord of Chaos trilogy?
A: I started working on the current version of the story in about 2006. The whole trilogy took me about four years to write. There was another version before that. Parts of that show up in the new version as Delmaria's journals.
Q:
You biography states that you used to be a teacher in mathematics. Math and literature, not the most obvious combination; how does that go together?
A: Math is in everything. I really like working with numbers and am very intrigued with Chaos Theory and fractals. I like the patterns in Math as well. Some are buried in the story here and there.
Q:
In your book(s) a lot occurs in Austria. Ever been there? What’s the fascination?
A: I've never been to Austria, though I'd like to go some day. There's a quote from the movie August Rush that I think sums up my fascination with Austria: "I believe in music the way some people believe in fairy tales." I have always loved music and most of the classical music I listen to comes from Austrian composers; Mozart, Strauss, Schubert, Haydn, and Beethoven (who went to Austria to work). I also believe that there is magic in music. Micah is the character I chose to bring forth that belief.
Q:
Can you name a few of your own favorite authors, the ones who inspired you over the years?
A: Terry Brooks, J.R.R. Tolkien, Piers Anthony, Ray Bradbury, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain and Michael Moorcock
Q:
What is the first book you read that absolutely wowed you?
A: That's hard to say. I've been reading since I was very young. As a kid, probably Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn. Somewhere in there I read "The Old Man and the Sea." I think it was a school assignment, but it became one of my all time favorite stories. One of the earliest I remember from teen/adult times is Dandelion Wine, by Bradbury. From there I read Martian Chronicles and an awesome short story of his called "The Skeleton." I think Tolkien was next. He led me to find more books with elves in them. Terry Brooks followed him.
Q:
Where do you get information for your writing? The Internet, or do you dive into some ancient library and get your hands dirty?
A: Most of what's in my stories is from my imagination. I really did not have to research much. The few bits and pieces of historical correctness probably came from my years in college earning my teaching degree. My endorsement is in middle school education and they expect you to be able to teach all four of the core subjects.
Q:
What do you do when you’re not writing? Do you have a day job?
A: I'm currently looking for a day job. They're hard to find around here. Evenings I either listen to music, watch a movie or play games on the computer.
Q:
How about a hobby?
A: My hobby is collecting. I collect stamps, trading cards, records and CDs, and autographs.
Q:
No man is an island. Who, through the hardships of creating a fiction saga, stood behind you all the while?
A: My three 'editor' friends. All three books are dedicated to them.
Q:
Do any of your characters remind you of people in real life? Did someone inadvertently get a lead in the Lord of Chaos?
A: Two of my friends did. I won't mention who they are in real life, but the characters are Delmaria, Stumpy, and Fury.
Q: What do you consider the hardest part of writing a novel? Character
interactions? Plot? Other?
A: I guess keeping the plot from getting too complicated. I really get into my characters, all of them. Every one of them wants a solo. Trying to do that makes the plot far too convoluted.
Q:
What inspires you?
A: Music. I like to listen to instrumentals, classical, big band, rock, etc. I let my mind wander as I do. The other main source of inspiration is dreams. Sometimes a story will haunt me night after night until I start to write it down.
Q:
Any particular quirks when you write? You withdraw to a safe haven of silence and tranquility, or you seek out the hubbub of the nearest, let’s say, Starbucks?
A: I write at night when I'm less likely to be disturbed. I have a very hard time writing with outside distractions. I will listen to classical music while I write. It calms me and helps me think better.
Q:
Any other books in the making? What’s it about, and will you be publishing this as well?
A: Three. Two are on the back burner for the moment. Those are kaben nine and Cycle of Death. The first is about two demigod siblings and their plot to rid themselves of their father so they can do what they want. The second is more of a paranormal detective thing. The main character is a detective that can read the memories of objects to solve mysteries.
The third one returns to El'elasia. It begins about two hundred years after Vengeance. This story focuses more on Eldar elves and William and his family are the lead characters. I don't want to say too much about it because it would contain spoilers for Vengeance if I do.
I'm also working on a puzzle book. If it's finished before the new installment, all the puzzles will have something to do with the original trilogy. If not, some of the new story will be included also.
Q:
Last one. You have one free hour to do with as you will, what will you do?
A: I would write, listen to music, work on my stamp collection, draw, bang on my guitar or piano, or play some game. If I had two free hours, I might opt to watch a movie.
That done, coffee consumed, some laughter shared over mutual experiences in writing, we say our goodbyes because let’s face it, I have a flight waiting to return me to reality. It was a pleasure doing the interview however, and I hope that y’all enjoyed reading it.
So that was it, the interview with Tanner Artesz, Indie author with three books just waiting to be picked up by some lucky reader. He’s available on Amazon, so do check him out.
Well, that was it for me, I guess. I’ve got work to do. The book to edit, hilarious chats to join in on on the chat forums and…well, I’ll share the next time round.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The old days
Song of the day: “Next 2 you” again, by Chris Brown and Justin Bieber. It is a problem I have whenever I “discover” a new song that I like. It will haunt me for several days on end.
Been rather busy again (so what else is new, right?) but did find the time to go for a nice hike with Knight II the other day. Cousin Ed and her dog, and big brother went along as well, and it really was like the old days when we’d roam the countryside just because we could, hah. It was rather beautiful there, I’ll admit. A small river running down a gully of rock and red dirt. Reed everywhere. Some old oaks, carobs, and lots of broom growing all over the place, making getting through very interesting. Hah.
We followed this narrow path, sheer rock on one side, an abyss of approximately thirty feet on the other, and hiked all the way to the old homestead which was just barely visible from the starting point.
It was a rather big old ruin. All that was left of stables, three story main house, large courtyard and veranda, were crumbling walls and what appeared to be an ancient sewage system.
The dogs were wildly fascinated by the water (it was nice and hot during our walk. At one point Knight II kept trying to lying down in the bushes, only to jump up again when I continued on) and cousin Ed’s dog slid right off the rocks at one point and into the water. Luckily he didn’t appear to mind all that much.
Lotsa gardening. Yep, it’s that time of the year when the yard is going to take up more and more of our time, and I for one, love that part. Take today for instance. I spent most of the day in the yard and greenhouse. Sowed loads of pots with herbs for the summer. Basil, parsley, chives and a big container with onions. Since I was busy anyway, I also put in a batch of broccoli, while big brother took care of tomatoes. Within a few weeks the greenhouse should be teeming with young plants again, and since soon the young lettuces will be going out, there will be more than enough space.
There was watering again, since this is a particularly dry winter and we are more than a little psyched that we’re making so much use of the basin. That thing is really paying for itself right now. Hah.
Had a wonderful workout this morning, despite the effing foot making a nuisance of itself again. Even did an extra two rounds of punches just for the heck of it. Since I slept in yesterday morning, the way I figured some extra exercises wouldn’t go awry.
While walking the boarding dogs yesterday morning, big brother and I debated the marvels of taking apart the old bus at some point in the distant future. Now that would be a big job for sure. Imagine how much disks we’d need on the angle grinder, and how many bolts would have to be unscrewed…not to mention how much weight we’d end up lugging up the mountain (the bus is almost at the lowest level of a full acre). Hah. But anyway, it’s not like it’s important since that time isn’t there by a long shot yet.
The afternoon (yesterday) was used to build a balustrade by the stairs that lead down to the patio and mom’s room. She recently took a tumble and it was time to make something to which she could hold onto. It worked out rather well, actually. A good solid beam on the top, and two strong supports beside the stairs. Took us less than three hours to install the thing, and it looks good. Fits in quite well with the rest of he balustrades all through the yard. Hah.
Had a good edit last night. Managed a total of six pages…despite me getting totally distracted by the discussion forums on the ‘zon. Hah. Seriously, it was a little like the old days and I had the biggest fun joining in on this massive chat going on. They’re still at it, so I might be forced to head that way again soon.
There was a cooking session last night, of course (a girl’s gotta eat) and this morning, since there was no bread for a change, I made veggie burgers for later today and breakfast. It fell rather well, I’ve got to admit. Am looking forward to having it for supper with a hamburger sandwich and maybe some lettuce. Yum.
As for today, well, am only halfway through it, but there will be edits I assure you, food, maybe a little nap and a pickup of a donation later in the evening. (Darn it!) Other than that, this will have to do because I can’t think of anything else to share today…oh, except that we’re finally in the planning stages of the putting big terrace doors in my bedroom. Yay!
Been rather busy again (so what else is new, right?) but did find the time to go for a nice hike with Knight II the other day. Cousin Ed and her dog, and big brother went along as well, and it really was like the old days when we’d roam the countryside just because we could, hah. It was rather beautiful there, I’ll admit. A small river running down a gully of rock and red dirt. Reed everywhere. Some old oaks, carobs, and lots of broom growing all over the place, making getting through very interesting. Hah.
We followed this narrow path, sheer rock on one side, an abyss of approximately thirty feet on the other, and hiked all the way to the old homestead which was just barely visible from the starting point.
It was a rather big old ruin. All that was left of stables, three story main house, large courtyard and veranda, were crumbling walls and what appeared to be an ancient sewage system.
The dogs were wildly fascinated by the water (it was nice and hot during our walk. At one point Knight II kept trying to lying down in the bushes, only to jump up again when I continued on) and cousin Ed’s dog slid right off the rocks at one point and into the water. Luckily he didn’t appear to mind all that much.
Lotsa gardening. Yep, it’s that time of the year when the yard is going to take up more and more of our time, and I for one, love that part. Take today for instance. I spent most of the day in the yard and greenhouse. Sowed loads of pots with herbs for the summer. Basil, parsley, chives and a big container with onions. Since I was busy anyway, I also put in a batch of broccoli, while big brother took care of tomatoes. Within a few weeks the greenhouse should be teeming with young plants again, and since soon the young lettuces will be going out, there will be more than enough space.
There was watering again, since this is a particularly dry winter and we are more than a little psyched that we’re making so much use of the basin. That thing is really paying for itself right now. Hah.
Had a wonderful workout this morning, despite the effing foot making a nuisance of itself again. Even did an extra two rounds of punches just for the heck of it. Since I slept in yesterday morning, the way I figured some extra exercises wouldn’t go awry.
While walking the boarding dogs yesterday morning, big brother and I debated the marvels of taking apart the old bus at some point in the distant future. Now that would be a big job for sure. Imagine how much disks we’d need on the angle grinder, and how many bolts would have to be unscrewed…not to mention how much weight we’d end up lugging up the mountain (the bus is almost at the lowest level of a full acre). Hah. But anyway, it’s not like it’s important since that time isn’t there by a long shot yet.
The afternoon (yesterday) was used to build a balustrade by the stairs that lead down to the patio and mom’s room. She recently took a tumble and it was time to make something to which she could hold onto. It worked out rather well, actually. A good solid beam on the top, and two strong supports beside the stairs. Took us less than three hours to install the thing, and it looks good. Fits in quite well with the rest of he balustrades all through the yard. Hah.
Had a good edit last night. Managed a total of six pages…despite me getting totally distracted by the discussion forums on the ‘zon. Hah. Seriously, it was a little like the old days and I had the biggest fun joining in on this massive chat going on. They’re still at it, so I might be forced to head that way again soon.
There was a cooking session last night, of course (a girl’s gotta eat) and this morning, since there was no bread for a change, I made veggie burgers for later today and breakfast. It fell rather well, I’ve got to admit. Am looking forward to having it for supper with a hamburger sandwich and maybe some lettuce. Yum.
As for today, well, am only halfway through it, but there will be edits I assure you, food, maybe a little nap and a pickup of a donation later in the evening. (Darn it!) Other than that, this will have to do because I can’t think of anything else to share today…oh, except that we’re finally in the planning stages of the putting big terrace doors in my bedroom. Yay!
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