Attention readers! I have a new children's book for you all to check out. The reviews are fantastic and it's definitely one you should try and pick up soon. The book of the day is The Great Adventures of Peter the Fish, by Glenn Thorpe:
Meet Peter: he is the most outgoing, loving, and brave little fish in a little pond that sits in the middle of a charming and bright enchanted emerald forest. Dreaming of a beautiful and magical lake, Peter sets out on an adventure to find it. Along the way, Peter encounters many surprises--he meets friends of all shapes and sizes and learns what it really means to set out on an adventure, take risks, trust others, and make dreams come true.
Peter The Fish is about friendship, and about learning to love and accept others for who they really are. Through the obstacles he faces and the friends he meets, Peter shows us all what it means to have a good heart and a positive attitude.
Will Peter find the large, beautiful lake of his dreams? How do Peter and his friends triumph over the obstacles that are presented to them every step of the way? What is true friendship really about? These are all answers that you’ll find from reading Peter The Fish.
The Great Adventures of Peter the Fish is now available on Amazon.com. I know a lot of you who peruse this blog are writing children's book of your own, so I encourage to check out this unique tale. Glenn Thorpe has brought us this beautiful story, which reviewers have called "heartwarming", "awesome", "engaging" and "inspirational".
Here's what the author, Glenn Thorpe, had to say about his book:
I created the story many years ago when I was having trouble getting my two daughters to go to bed on time. Everyday I would come up with a new scene of the story to tell them when I got home. Which made it a bedtime cliffhanger story. Each day before I got home the kids were waiting to find out what was going to happen to Peter the Fish. This went on for weeks. It worked like a charm, they went right to be on time. I believe your kids will also love this story as mine did, while teaching great morals. This is a must read story to any child. I think reading Peter the fish may bring a little inspiration to all of us that have dreams. With persistance,courage and determination I feel we can all make our dreams come true,like Peter.
So, check out The Great Adventures of Peter the Fish today... the perfect bedtime story for your little one.
And, as always, check back here at Holy Cow... I'm Writing a Book?! for many more author interviews and new book suggestions, coming soon!
Find as @BookTalkGuy and @RimerTom
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
An Interview with Dyal Bailey, author of The Artisan: An Artistic Assassin Thriller
Are you ready for one of our most complete and insightful interviews yet? Buckle your seat-belts, all you aspiring writers out there. I can say that I, personally, have already learned quite a lot from our next author interview. I plan on incorporating some of her suggestions into my own writing process, particularly the helpful advice she gives regarding her use of Fiverr.com. I never before thought of using the site in that way, but I realize now how beneficial it could be for my own work. Please pay close attention to the words of this next author. Today, we are speaking with Dyal Bailey, author of The Artisan: An Artistic Assassin Thriller.
-Now, this blog is dedicated to new authors, many of which are still trying to make it in the publishing world. If you could speak directly to them, what advice would you give them in terms of what they’ll need to do end up a published author?
But at some point, you must actually
write, so start with baby steps. Write to your mom or your friends, just 20 to
2000 words worth in an email every day. Type your thoughts about your most
trying moments of the day into your iPhone. Get on Facebook and leave very
“honest and detailed” responses to pictures of puppies and babies and kids
winning trophies.
Stop comparing yourself with others. Stop kicking yourself for not being like some 18-year-old you heard about that wrote their bestselling vampire book in three days while riding the school bus.
-How do you think readers will react to your heroine, Dr. Rafaela Ramos? How did you originally envision her and did she evolve from that initial idea as you wrote the book?
-Talk to us about Gunter. How is he different from the killers that we’ve seen in movies and other books? How does he stand out when compared to Hannibal Lector, Dexter, and the rest who came before him?
-I hate it when I read a book and the author seems to have no idea what he/she is writing about. With your book, that certainly isn’t the case. You seemed to be as knowledgeable about the science behind the crimes as Dr. Ramos, herself. Do you have a background/experience in a similar field? I’d be shocked if you didn’t.
-Does this story continue? Will there be a sequel? Without giving anything away, I was, personally, surprised about Gunter’s final scene.
-Brief teaser for The Artisan: An Artistic Assassin Thriller:
-Where can we buy The Artisan: An Artistic Assassin Thriller?
-Thanks for joining us today, Dyal. We’re all extremely
excited to hear about your book, The Artisan: An Artistic Assassin Thriller.
What can you tell us about this book?
DYAL: First off, it’s fun. Most readers read for amusement and
diversion, so I really worked hard to take the reader on an enjoyable ride.
Secondly, it’s a fast read. I’ve
formatted this book very specifically for rapid eye movement on and across the
page. I frequently separate a single sentence out for emphasis. Most paragraphs
are fairly short, except for the one-sided and very humorous phone
conversations between Antonio and Gunter.
Third, there are no cardboard characters. Everyone to me is
interesting and I like creating very unique, quirky characters that stand out.
I want readers to remember all my characters long after they finish the book.
-It this your debut novel?
DYAL: This is my
debut novel that I’ve published. I wrote and tossed a mystery called
Murder-on-the- Half-Shell (very wretched, very therapeutic) and I’ve written
four screenplays.
This book actually started as a
novel, was converted to a screenplay—keeping only about 30% and that was mostly
just the Gunter scenes—then I converted the screenplay back to this novel.
-Now, this blog is dedicated to new authors, many of which are still trying to make it in the publishing world. If you could speak directly to them, what advice would you give them in terms of what they’ll need to do end up a published author?
DYAL: Write. The way to become a
professional writer is to become proficient and to become proficient you need
to practice. They say it takes ten thousand hours to become an expert at anything.
But I think you can become a good writer much faster than this, because we use
our language every day. You are essentially composing every time you open your
mouth.
Stop comparing yourself with others. Stop kicking yourself for not being like some 18-year-old you heard about that wrote their bestselling vampire book in three days while riding the school bus.
Don’t let people say you are too old.
Someone once said, “No one has anything worth saying until they’re fifty.”
Don’t let anyone tell you that you
are too young. What you lack in wisdom, you can make up for in freshness and
individuality.
And go ahead and start that book - NOW!
Don’t try to be perfect and don’t
over think it. Allow yourself to write a “sloppy, horrible” first draft. And
write quickly. With rapidity is honesty.
When I’m feeling stuck, I pop on my
microphone headset and use my (only $50.00) Dragon Naturally Speaking dictation
software. This really speeds up the process and keeps me from stopping and
editing too much.
When you’re done with your
“beautiful monster” of a draft, spend a few days (or maximum a week) going over
it and editing it yourself. . And don’t worry if your very thin book manuscript
is topping out at 60 pages, it will fill out in time.
DO NOT give it to friends or
relatives to read or correct. This is a fabulous waste of time.
Instead, buy multiple proofreading
and editing gigs on “fiverr.com” and send it through a minimum of “three or
four” editors at once. The reason you should buy “multiple editing
gigs” at the same time is because you always, always want to get a consensus.
Much of editing is opinion, but if two or three people tell you to make
changes, then you most likely need to adjust something. And by doing it this way, you kind
of soften the blow. Having anyone critique “your baby”
(even when it is a barely-formed youngling) is going to hurt. By having
multiple editors, it will help you to realize that making changes is just a
process—a very necessary process. And fiverr.com is great for this, because
most of the editors are also writers.
Then as the cliché goes, rinse and
repeat. Go through the editing suggestions, update
your manuscript (I use an extra video monitor attached to my laptop so that I
have two editors notes on one screen and my original manuscript on the other screen), and make the changes to your
plot or grammar or characters. Then play with is for a couple of
days and send it through another three or four “totally new” fiverr.com
editors. I do reuse the same editors over and
over again, but only after I’ve let them skip two rounds. I want their brains and their outlook to be fresh.
-How do you think readers will react to your heroine, Dr. Rafaela Ramos? How did you originally envision her and did she evolve from that initial idea as you wrote the book?
DYAL: My readers really dig Rafaela, probably
because she’s hot, smart, and sexy, but she’s also deadly. Guys want her and
women want to be her. Your second question made me laugh,
because Rafaela started as a man. She was Nicolas Carteret and his
love interest was a bartender named Rachel. But it just wasn’t working for me. Then
I saw how they had converted the screenplay “Salt”, meant for Tom Cruise into
one for a Angelina Jolie, and I realized that my hero needed to be a heroine.
Things that are incredibly bad-ass for a female character for some reason don’t
come off as well for a male. As soon as I made those changes, the plot really
started to flow.
-Talk to us about Gunter. How is he different from the killers that we’ve seen in movies and other books? How does he stand out when compared to Hannibal Lector, Dexter, and the rest who came before him?
DYAL: Gunter, my metrosexual serial-killer-like
assassin is very, very lovable, but just when you fall head-over-heels, he’s
terrifying. In the past, I have joked and called
him Hannibal Lector wearing a mauve leotard. But Gunter doesn’t eat his
victims. Instead, he uses them as the stars of his performance arts videos. The
finale, of course, is their rather bloody deaths. People
ask how in the world I created such an unusual character as Gunter and all I
can tell them is that he (like most of my characters) kind of popped out fully
formed.
Having said that–it didn't take me long to realize that my subconscious mind had created a kind of caricature of my father.
Daddy was a surgeon, but beyond that he grew up hunting and fishing on the Satilla River - so he was truly amazing with a knife. He could fillet a fish in seconds, it was beautiful to watch.
Having said that–it didn't take me long to realize that my subconscious mind had created a kind of caricature of my father.
Daddy was a surgeon, but beyond that he grew up hunting and fishing on the Satilla River - so he was truly amazing with a knife. He could fillet a fish in seconds, it was beautiful to watch.
My
father was slightly effeminate, but he was a very heterosexual, metrosexual. And
just as Gunter prefers blondes, all of my father’s wives were blonde. He was
such a mess. He used to answer the front door wearing nothing but his
underwear. It really never occurred to him to not do exactly as he pleased.
He had served in World War II and afterwards fell in love with German and French culture. He spoke both languages with great fluency. Languages are something that seems to come easily to our family.
He had served in World War II and afterwards fell in love with German and French culture. He spoke both languages with great fluency. Languages are something that seems to come easily to our family.
-I hate it when I read a book and the author seems to have no idea what he/she is writing about. With your book, that certainly isn’t the case. You seemed to be as knowledgeable about the science behind the crimes as Dr. Ramos, herself. Do you have a background/experience in a similar field? I’d be shocked if you didn’t.
DYAL: I confess. I am such a nerd. I do a
lot of in-depth studies on a variety of subjects. These have taken me anywhere
from 20 and 200 books until my curiosity is satisfied.
When I first started studying
biotechnology, the only books available cost anywhere from $500 to $1000
dollars and the really good magazines were free, but reserved for only people
in the field. So I did kind of a naughty, naughty. I pretended that my
restaurant was a bio-lab, subscribed to Genetic and Engineering News and other
magazines, and had them all delivered to Rhinehart’s Laboratories. Those
periodicals were amazing and everything in them was cutting edge. Now, you can even buy Biotechnology
for Dummies, but when I started my study, up-to-date information was a lot
harder to find. With the Werther Algorithm, I kind
of cheated. The last time I’d done an algorithm
or a flow chart, I was programming in Basic on a TRS-80 (like thirty years ago).
So when my main editor Judy in New York asked me to expand the algorithm arc, I
wanted to send her nasty, anonymous emails.
But, I relented, and got on YouTube.
After going through several video lectures from a multitude of sources, I found
this awesome course on Beginning Algorithms taught at MIT by two rotating professors. I immediately fell in love with Dr.
Devadas who is such a love kitten of a teacher (he throws out a free stadium
cushion to anyone who answers a tough question). And Erik Demaine (who looks
about 15-years-old) was so fabulous and accessible. When I got to (I think it
was) Lecture 24 (the one with the Fibonacci Numbers), I found the algorithm I
was looking for. So I created a sort of etched-in
algorithm for Werther with a plethora of memoized equations, then the flow
chart, and had my brother (who’s a mathematician and programmer) check my math.
He said I was good, but he was appalled at my use of passé math lingo (like
reoccurring when I should say recursive). At his insistence, I listened to the
lectures all over again until I could “speck modern math” well enough to stop
him from cringing.
-Does this story continue? Will there be a sequel? Without giving anything away, I was, personally, surprised about Gunter’s final scene.
DYAL: Yes, I have four more books outlined
(and I’m toying with an outline to insert a fifth).
I’m 25% of the way through with the
second book in the series, called The Nicodemas Project. You can see the
finished cover on dyalbaily.com and in June I’m uploading an excerpt.
The series (at this point) goes like
this: The Artisan, The Nicodemas Project, The Nephilim, the Municher, and The
Joshua Algorithm.
-Anything else at all that you’d like our readers to know
about The Artisan: An Artistic Assassin Thriller?
DYAL: Please download a free sample. If
you read the first few pages, you’ll want to read more. And the pace of the
book only quickens from there. I’m planning to put the first chapter (or a bit
more) on my website: dyalbailey.com later today.
-Brief teaser for The Artisan: An Artistic Assassin Thriller:
DYAL: She’s beautiful. She’s the CIA’s
biochemical assassin. She thinks she’s untouchable.
-Where can we buy The Artisan: An Artistic Assassin Thriller?
DYAL: Amazon.com— it’s on both the kindle
and in paperback.
Ok, so... I don't need to state the obvious here, but I'm going to. Not only was this interview a fascinating and educational read, but you've got a great little book on your hands here, Dyal. I read it myself and I want to urge all you readers out there to pick it up today. I promise you will not be disappointed.
I'm so serious about this that I plan on having Dyal back very soon to speak to us in even more depth about her experience in writing this novel. Thanks, Dyal!
As always, find us and our interviews @BookTalkGuy and @RimerTom
Sunday, May 11, 2014
An Interview with Tony Carnival, author of Over Odyssey: Yellow
For those of you who have been following my recent struggles with writer's block, I've recently hopped back on the writing train and we're now moving in the right direction again. That was easily my worst run-in with writer's block, to date, and I have seemingly survived it. To all of you fellow writers out there who responded with helpful advice and/or offers to do some beta reading, it was much appreciated. That's what this little community is all about.
Ok, so here's what you're all actually interested in. I've been teasing this interview for a few days now because I am particularly excited about sharing it with you. We recently had a chance to talk to Tony Carnival, author of Over Odyssey: Yellow, the first book in a new epic fantasy series.
Hi, Tony! We’re so excited to have you here today to talk to us about your book, Over Odyssey: Yellow, the first of seven books in an epic fantasy series. What can you tell us about this new universe that you have created and your protagonist, Exodus?
TONY: Over Odyssey: Yellow is the first of six books, not seven, but I suppose---depending on where the story takes me---there very well could be seven books – perhaps even more. As for the universe I have created: Without giving anything away, the story revolves around a boy who is leading a seemingly average, misfortune-riddled life. Exodus Magaba is a bright light amidst a series of dark, sometimes droll events…until he discovers that the world he comes from is anything from ordinary. Since his memory loss three years prior to the time when the story begins, Ex’s mother has been hiding the truth from him and his younger brother; the reader is just as in the dark, and together with Exodus, they embark on an extraordinary journey of discovery.
Wow, Tony! Such a pleasure to have you in to talk with us. As a true fan of this genre, I cannot wait to read this book. It has all the makings of a seriously amazing epic. To the rest of you jokers: I mean it when I say that this is a book not to pass up. Pick up a copy today. Mark my words, you will be hearing about this guy, and this series, soon.
As always, find us on the Twitter thang, @BookTalkGuy and @RimerTom
Ok, so here's what you're all actually interested in. I've been teasing this interview for a few days now because I am particularly excited about sharing it with you. We recently had a chance to talk to Tony Carnival, author of Over Odyssey: Yellow, the first book in a new epic fantasy series.
Hi, Tony! We’re so excited to have you here today to talk to us about your book, Over Odyssey: Yellow, the first of seven books in an epic fantasy series. What can you tell us about this new universe that you have created and your protagonist, Exodus?
TONY: Over Odyssey: Yellow is the first of six books, not seven, but I suppose---depending on where the story takes me---there very well could be seven books – perhaps even more. As for the universe I have created: Without giving anything away, the story revolves around a boy who is leading a seemingly average, misfortune-riddled life. Exodus Magaba is a bright light amidst a series of dark, sometimes droll events…until he discovers that the world he comes from is anything from ordinary. Since his memory loss three years prior to the time when the story begins, Ex’s mother has been hiding the truth from him and his younger brother; the reader is just as in the dark, and together with Exodus, they embark on an extraordinary journey of discovery.
-I’ve read a great deal of
epic fantasy, myself. My favorite is the Wheel
of Time Series by Robert Jordan. The first book in that series, (The Eye of the World) to me, is one of
the best introductions to fantastical realm that I have ever seen. Would you
compare Over Odyssey: Yellow to
anything else that you’ve read, or do you think it stands alone as something
completely new and unique?
TONY: Over Odyssey is a unique story,
doubtlessly, but like every other piece of fiction it has its roots in its
author’s inspirations. Readers may find a nostalgic similarity between the TEKU
fighting style in my story and that of the Jedi in Star Wars. The world I have
created revolves around its six natural elements, so gamers---especially
RPG-lovers---will find the Kingdom of Odyssia to be a diverse and exciting
realm.
-Can you talk a little
about the significance of the color yellow in your book’s title? Are we to
assume that the other six books in the series will also have a color associated
with each of them?
TONY: Yes, every book in the series
will be subtitled with a color. Figuratively, this has to do with the
significant role the rainbow plays in the story, but there is a literal
relevance as well: the narrator, Ex’s baby brother Gadget, is supposedly
writing his brother’s story in a set of empty tomes. These veritable “ancient
journals” are differentiated only by the color of their bindings, and so
Gadget marks each installment of Over Odyssey with a color. The next book will be Blue (which I am working on
now), then Red, Purple, Orange, and Green.
-How long have you been
writing and from where did the concept for this book first emerge?
TONY: I have been writing since the
first grade, but it was during my ninth year that Exodus came to me, so to
speak. The concept for this particular book, however, emerged just after my
father passed away from a sudden heart attack in late 2009. It was then I
decided to merge my love of fantasy with my characters from Ex’s world. The final product thrills me and, I hope,
will thrill all who read it.
-A great deal of readers
of this blog are new authors, just starting out, trying to find a home with a
publisher. What can you share with us about your experience getting this book published
and do you have any advice for those of us who are still new to all of this?
TONY: Getting published can be an
extremely frustrating and discouraging process – no news there. In the end, a
doctor friend of mine knew someone who knew someone who got me in after almost
a year of rejection, including a rejection from Random House. I was told,
however, by the top fantasy editor at Random House that I was a clear and fluid
writer with great potential. That gave me a wonderful sense of validation. In the end, an author has to believe in
himself and push, push, push. Never give up, and never be ashamed of
self-publishing.
-The cover design for your
novel is striking. It immediately grabbed me when I saw it. Can you discuss the
process of creating the cover art and how did it feel when you finally saw it
in all of its finished glory?
TONY: I worked with a wonderful artist
who gave me many options. The cover you see is the one I chose, of course, but
I had to make many edits to its source material before it struck me as “the
one”. Seeing the completed version for the first time was an experience I can
only describe as invigorating. Over Odyssey: Yellow, the BOOK, was finally real for the first time after four
years of effort, and this was a magnificent feeling.
-Ok, here’s your chance.
Sell this thing to us. Why should we all run out now and buy your book?
TONY: Simply put: my book breaks all
the rules. It’s an experience rather than a read; you go on the journey of
fantasy and discovery with Ex – you aren’t just told about
it through a meandering narration.
-When will we be able read
the second book?
TONY: Gadget is working on the second
installment of his brother’s epic story, Over
Odyssey: Blue, as we speak. (Just a joke.) It should be done within the
next year, though my muse is nothing if not capricious.
-Brief teaser for Over Odyssey: Yellow:
“What begins as a story of an American teenage boy named Exodus
Magaba and a groundbreaking new video game quickly becomes so much more, and
what erupts goes beyond the limits of fantasy storytelling and imagination
itself.”
-Where can we buy, Over Odyssey: Yellow?
TONY: Over Odyssey: Yellow is
available in paperback, kindle, or nook formats on www.amazon.com ,www.barnesandnoble.com,
and my personal author website,http://sbprabooks.com/TonyCarnival. The first eight chapters are available in a special trial download
for kindle and nook at amazon and b&n for only 99 cents!Wow, Tony! Such a pleasure to have you in to talk with us. As a true fan of this genre, I cannot wait to read this book. It has all the makings of a seriously amazing epic. To the rest of you jokers: I mean it when I say that this is a book not to pass up. Pick up a copy today. Mark my words, you will be hearing about this guy, and this series, soon.
As always, find us on the Twitter thang, @BookTalkGuy and @RimerTom
An Interview with Gwendolyn Taunton, author of Primordial Traditions
Good morning to your all! Today, I am thrilled to bring you a little chat that we had with Gwendolyn Taunton, author of Primordial Traditions.
Hi,
Gwendolyn! So happy that you stopped by today. You’ve published a number of
books, most recently Primordial Traditions. What can you tell us about yourself, as an author, and the
books that you write?
GWENDOLYN: I’ve
been writing professionally now for eight years. The majority of my writing has
been non-fiction, but I sometimes diversify into poetry and fiction pieces. A
great proportion of my work is on Eastern Spiritual Traditions or philosophy.
At the moment I’m trying to put out 1-2 titles a year. This goal was shattered
somewhat by a series of earthquakes in 2010-2011. After 2012 however, I’ve
managed to get back on track with this target.
What
is Primordial Traditions about and
who might enjoy picking up a copy of this book?
GWENDOLYN:Primordial Traditions is my first project which
began as a home- made free webzine. It quickly grew a following online and in
2009 a collection of the best articles was published in a book. This was the
first book I made, and it had quite a few things in it which needed to be
corrected. So I decided to bring out a new edition with a completely different
layout and revised content. Articles from the first book have been replaced
with new chapters also. So in essence, this isn’t just a second edition – it’s
an improved and enhanced version of the earlier book.
You
are a previous recipient of the Ashton Wylie Award for Literary Excellence
(2009). Can you talk to our readers a little bit about this award and why it
was given to you?
GWENDOLYN:I
was very surprised to win that. I actually read one of the other contestant’s
books and thought her book was much better than mine. One of the reasons Primordial Traditions won the grand
prize was due not so much due to its content, but the practical application of
it as a philosophy. The Ashton Wylie Award has a humanitarian element to it, so
the money is awarded to people who are likely to use it to advance society. In
the case of the Primordial Tradition,
it’s obviously a philosophy that can unite different strands of faith and
belief for the purposes of ending religious persecution and creating greater
understanding of religions. Rather than merging Traditions together, it adds a sub-layer
of philosophical pretext that permits them to communicate with each other, no
matter how different they are. In essence, what I have tried to do is to render
religion and spirituality into a format which is logical in its approach and
more suited for delivery to a modern audience.
Many
readers of this blog are new authors, some of whom have still not even
approached publishers with their finished manuscripts. How was your experience
as a first time author and can you give us some pointers in dealing with publishers,
agents, editors, etc.
GWENDOLYN:I’ve
actually never once approached a publisher…I’ve been very lucky and they all came
to me. This probably has something to do with the fact that I was already
publishing my own work online for free though. My best advice here is to use
the internet and put things online for free to attract interest. Publishers
have a way of searching for talent online, and if you are good they will come
to you. Getting publicity is an important aspect.
We’re
very interested in this one: can you talk a little bit about your book, Mythos: The Myths and Tales of H.P.
Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard? What was the driving force behind writing
that?
GWENDOLYN:I
felt like doing something different there. I’ve always enjoyed Lovecraft’s
work, and thought it would fun to work on a book in this genre. There’s a lot
of interest in his books at the moment. It was definitely a fun project to work
on. I’d like to do some more work along this line later.
We
notice that you’ve published frequently with Numen Books. How difficult was it
to find and feel comfortable with a publisher and how did you know that they
were the right fit for you?
GWENDOLYN:John
handles the business end of Numen and he is great to work with. I like to
write, but don’t enjoy the business or administrative side of things, so it’s a
great relief to have someone else handle that side of things. Numen also
publishes some other great books, such as Occult
Traditions and Alchemical Traditions.
They specialise in spiritual texts for the intellectual practitioner so it’s a
good fit.
Our
readers tell me that they enjoy it when I ask this question, so I’m going to do
it once again: What are you currently reading?
GWENDOLYN:Currently
I’m reading The Aristocratic Ideal in
Ancient Greece. A bit different to my usual topics, but I’m working on
writing a piece about the idea of the ‘Good’ and ‘Virtue’ in the works of
Plato. So far it’s a very good book and I’m picking up some new information
from it. I would definitely recommend it for anyone interested in Greek philosophy
or classics. I’ve also been reading lot of Plato’s material on the trial and
dialogues of Socrates to see how it relates to his other ideas. So basically
I’m reading lots of Plato and Greek history at the moment.
Any
new work on the horizon? What’s next for Gwendolyn Taunton?
GWENDOLYN:After
this I plan to finish The Tantrik
Tradition which is reasonably close to completion. I am hoping to release
this in November. This book will be my most significant work, as it combines
ideas I have been researching for over a decade and includes some very hard to
source content on the topic. Instead of concentrating on the usual
over-sensationalised elements of Tantrism, I’ll be looking at its original
Hindu form, and attempt to explain this to people in Western countries, who often
have very odd opinions on Tantra. The way Tantra is perceived by the East and
the West is very strange…almost opposite in fact. There’s probably a good case
for arguing they are not even the same Tradition and that the ‘sacred sex’
element that seems to dominate Western thought on the topic is almost a quirk
of Western culture.
Anything
else at all that you’d like us to know about Primordial Traditions or any of your other books?
GWENDOLYN:Firstly
Primordial Traditions will be back as
a regular publication. Secondly, I’d like to say that the content of this book is
not the same as the first edition. Some pieces which I thought could be
improved on (most of which are ones written by me) have been removed and
replaced with different content. A new chapter at the front of the book has
also been written by me. In essence I’ve taken a book that was already an award
winner and tried to make it even better. And I very much hope people will enjoy
the change. I’d also like to thank Goatcraft
for providing a wonderful soundtrack to the promotional video.
Brief
blurb/teaser for Primordial Traditions:
GWENDOLYN:Primordial
Traditions,
the recipient of the $10,000 Ashton Wylie
Award for Literary Excellence, is finally back in print after a long
hiatus. Originally a free quarterly periodical dealing with spiritual and
metaphysical philosophy, Primordial
Traditions was reprinted in book format in 2009, and received the award for
its potential to unite the different Traditions of the world by postulating a
core under-lying philosophy.
Unfortunately the original plans for
the book were waylaid by a year long sequence of large earthquakes in the
author’s country of residence. Following this, the original plans for the book
became untenable and the author, Gwendolyn Taunton, relocated and the series
halted.
In 2014, Primordial Traditions is back in a second edition, with new and
revised content. Now writing under her real name instead of the previous non de
plume, Gwendolyn Taunton has assembled and impressive book of over four hundred
pages with an excellent design and research.
With subject matter as diverse as
religious philosophy, Middle Eastern Mysticism, rites of Ancient Greece and
Rome, Norse Berserkers, Tantra, and altered states of consciousness in yoga, Primordial Traditions covers an
extremely diverse range of topics, some of which are clearly intended to be
aimed at an audience of highly educated readers. This is tempered however, by
some less intense and more relaxing articles on Celtic & Viking history,
Mayan astrology, and even some dealing with law and finance. These articles,
though not as hefty, are equally fascinating and add to the quality of the
volume by virtue of their unique topics.
After sitting down and reading the
book cover to cover, it’s easy to see how such a philosophical approach to
religion could benefit humanity by teaching a sensible, moderate, and logical
approach to faith that ends religious conflicts and prevents dogma and
fundamentalism from damaging spiritual movements. All in all, Gwendolyn
Taunton’s greatest achievement here is perhaps a philosophical victory rather
than a literary one, because this is a concept I could easily see changing not
only the way religion and spirituality are conceived, but also the very nature
of the concept itself. By reading and spreading the philosophy of the
Primordial Tradition, I already feel secure that this book will make the world
a better, happier, and safer place.
Gwendolyn
Taunton, Primordial Traditions Volume I,
Numen Books, 2014.
Where
can we buy your books?
GWENDOLYN: Amazon
URL: http://www.amazon.com/Primordial-Traditions-Volume-Gwendolyn-Taunton/dp/0987559842/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399461720&sr=8-1&keywords=primordial+traditions+taunton
Web:
www.primordialtraditions.com
Thanks, Gwendolyn! Check back soon for our next interview!
@BookTalkGuy and @RimerTom
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