Author Interview: Jacob Donley

Interview with Jacob Donley

Tell me a little about yourself . . .

I'm from Central Illinois. I grew up on a farm with my 3 brothers and my sister. I've done the drive a tractor, pulling a plow through the field, bail hay, and show pigs and steers thing; So, I've done the real farmer thing. I grew up with it. I'm from a really small farm community that I didn't appreciate as much as I should have. I'd love to move back there some day soon. I was really big into sports and played football, basketball, and baseball all through high school, and I even played a year of football at Monmouth College. But, eventually, I moved on and graduated from Illinois State University with my Bachelor's degree in English. Currently, I'll be finishing up my Master's degree in Psychology in May '13.

What do you enjoy the most about writing?

I enjoy the creation more than anything. I love being able to think up characters and these fantastical worlds that they live in. It's like reading your favorite book everyday, except you decide where they go and what they do.

What do you enjoy most about reading?

Reading is slightly different than writing. I think it is being able to explore someone else's world. Wanting to know what happens next but not being in control of that is just as fun as knowing where they're going to go. You fall in love with the characters and where they live and don't want to see that end.

Who was the most influential person in your life when you were younger?

I would have to say my grandparents. I spent a lot of time up at my grandpa and grandma's farm growing up (my dad's parents). I also did a lot of horseback riding with my mom's parents while I was growing up. We would spend two weeks every summer camping and horseback riding. It was some of the most fun I've ever hide in those two places, my grandparent's farm and horse back riding/camping.

Who is your favorite character of all time? Which book(s) did they come from and who wrote it?

Drizzt Do'urden is probably one my favorite characters of all time. He is a character of R.A. Salvatore's. He is the star in a lot of books from him. He is a dark elf that turns away from the evil ways of his people and goes to the surface to find a new life.

Why did you pick revenge as one of the themes for your flash fiction piece?

Revenge is one of the most powerfully passionate responses that a human can feel. Revenge is fueled by hate and can drive men/women to insanity; it can drive them when everything else fades away. It is the perfect response to the situation I created in "What a Piece of Jerky?"

Jacob Donly is a poet and author. He is hard at work perfecting his first novel, Shindarin Rising, but in the mean time you can check out his short stories and poetry:

Short stories:
Chronicles of a Rock Troll: New Beginning
Tracer's Lament
To Kill a King (The Worlds Traveler)

Poetry:
A Memory Road

For Pepper Press flash fiction challenges, he has written:
What a Piece of Jerky! (2012 Horror Flash Fiction Challenge)

Links to Jacob:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Poetry

Author Interview: Thomas Winship

Interview with Thomas Winship

Tell me a little about yourself . . .
I’m a native New Yorker, living a little over an hour north of New York City. I have a BS in Business and an MBA in Management. I recently changed careers; after fifteen years in Corporate America—specializing in organizational development, talent management, and training—I moved into academe, where I now serve as MBA Director for a local college. I also teach courses in English Composition, Communications, and Business. And I write, of course …

What do you enjoy the most about writing?

There is no way to do justice to the feeling of creating something from nothing, except perhaps when you share the thing you created with other people and they enjoy it. Readers, in particular, are amazing. It’s pretty incredible to realize that I arrange words on paper (or in pixels) and strangers choose to read them.

What do you enjoy most about reading? 


Everything. The magic. The mystery. The unknown. The feel of a book in my hands. The excitement of opening to the first page and realizing that I'm about to embark on a brand new journey. I often explain my love of reading in similar ways: I don’t leave the house without a book. I go to Disney World and read while waiting in line. I do not have a DNF pile. When I was a child I used to sneak into the hallway after bedtime to read by the nightlight. The list of things I would rather do than read is very short. Very, very short. If left to my own devices—by which I mean stratagems, not data or other personal devices—I would read every moment while awake and play audio books while asleep. As it is, I try to read every day … although I don’t always live up to this while I’m writing.

Who was the most influential person in your life when you were younger?

My mother. For many reasons. High on that list is that she's the smartest person I've ever known, but she encouraged success without demanding it. Most importantly, she was a voracious reader who passed along her passion for the written word. 
 


 Who is your favorite character of all time? Which book(s) did they come from and who wrote it?
 


Wow! A tough choice, because there are so many characters I love. I guess I’ll cheat and say it’s a tie between Ridley Pearson’s Lou Boldt and Jeffery Deaver’s Lincoln Rhymes. Both characters have appeared in a number of books (although Pearson owes us a Boldt novel).

Why did you pick revenge as one of the themes for your flash fiction piece?

I didn't set out to use revenge (not I didn't seek revenge ... which is a horse of another color), but as the story came together, revenge just kind of slid neatly into place--like it was meant to be there all along! And, although the old saying claims that revenge is a dish best served cold ... I say that revenge lacks meat without heat. LOL That's pretty bad, but I've seen worse!

Thomas Winship is the author of the Vaempires series which include (so far):
Vaempires: Revolution
Vamepires: White Christmas
Vaempires: Zombie Rising (Coming Soon)

For Pepper Press flash fiction challenges, he has written:
Steak Special (2012 Horror Flash Fiction Challenge)

Links to Tom:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube
Goodreads
Shelfari
Amazon Author Page