I had the honor of talking about The Weeping Empress, life, writing, and all things books with Ann Haines‘. I was the first interviewee in her new Author Interview section on her blog. Thanks Ann! Check is out here: Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.
Patrick from Beyond Imagination has been kind enough to nominate SadieForsythe.com for a Sunshine Award. I’ve run an emotional gamut in response to it. I was initially thrilled simply to have been thought of, and then I wondered if this wasn’t just the blogging equivalent of a high-school chain letter, and then I decided I simply don’t care–Yeah, I got an award! While I get the distinct honor of passing it on to other blogs that bring momentary rays of sunshine into my virtual life, for the moment it is all mine.
Here are the rules…
1. Include the award logo in your post & on your blog.
2. Answer 10 questions about yourself – You can make up your own or you can use mine.
3. Nominate 5 – 10 other wonderful bloggers.
4. Let the other nominees know they are nominated and include links to their blog.
5. Link the person who nominated you.
So, here are my nominations:
Scarlett Rains
Ann Haines
Michael Cargill
Y. I. Lee
Eliza Baum
Some of them will be happier than others to receive such a chipper award, but they bring joy to me so…
1. Who is your favorite author ever?
This is an encredably hard question to answer. If asked what my favorite book is I would answer Dune, by Frank Herbert. But the question isn’t what is your favorite book. It is who is your favorite author; and the answer to that question changes from time to time. Right now I think I would have to say Anne Rice simply because she has written so many books that I have enjoyed.
2. What is your happy food?
Steamed artichokes with drawn butter. Oh god, I think I’m drooling just thinking about it.
3. Hardback or Paperback?
It depends – if it is a book I want to save and cherish, then a hardback. But if it is just a bit of fluff that I’m reading for the ephemeral joy of it, then I like a paperback that I can thrown in a smallish bag and drag about with me.
4. If you could visit one new country what would it be.
Japan – I’m enamored with the culture, architecture, and atmosphere.
5. What is your favorite movie?
I don’t have many favorite movies. I would usually prefer a book or my computer. But I would put Amalie right at the top of he list.
6. Manga or Anime?
Manga – it’s a little shot of happiness.
7. What is your favorite color?
I have always been partial to dark heather grey. I know, I know it may not technically be a color, but still it is my favorite.
8. What is your dream vacation?
Somewhere lush, leafy, and green like a lake or forest cabin. If I could just be left alone with the scenery, a stack of good books and a fast internet connection I would be in heaven.
9. Tea or coffee?
Ooh that’s a tough one. If I am at home it is always tea. But if I am out and about I generally want a latte at about 3:00pm.
10. What did you buy this week?
Other than groceries, nothing
M J Webb is a forty-something father of two from Walsall in England. He is a full time worker and writes in his spare time, though he would love to change that fact. So far, he has penned two novels, ‘Jake West – The Keeper of the Stones‘ and the sequel ‘Jake West – Warriors of the Heynai ‘. A third novel (as yet untitled) will complete the trilogy, though it is a work in progress, which should hopefully be finished by the end of the year.
The stories tell of the adventures of fifteen-year-old Jake and his best friend, Ben Brooker. The teenage boys from Lichfield, England discover a box in Jake’s grandfather’s attic, a box that cannot be opened by anyone other than Jake, or a member of his family. Jake opens it by accident for there are no hinges or catches of any description. By doing so, he inadvertently alerts warriors and wizards on distant worlds to its existence.
Now he is being hunted across worlds. An epic journey has begun on which his life will be in peril every step of the way and he is about to learn from his grandfather of some strange family secrets. The action is fast and furious. The stakes can be no higher. If Jake West, the new ‘Keeper of the Stones’ cannot protect them, restore them, he cannot go home and the future of our world and many others is at risk.
You can buy the novels online everywhere and you can check out M J Webb’s site at http://www.jakewest.co.uk.
There is a facebook fangroup called, ‘Fans of Jake West’ as well as an M J Webb author’s page. He is also on Twitter, Librarything and Goodreads.
For all fans of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings these books are a must. They are a compelling read and the reviews so far have been extraordinary. As with most self-published authors, marketing the novels has been hard for M J Webb, given his limited free time and resources. Without the power of a large publisher and a literary agent behind him, it has been hard to reach the masses and let them know about his books, though they have been very successful for self-published works. Anything to help spread the word is invaluable and greatly appreciated. Check out the great reviews on site or on Amazon. ☺