Greetings humans, half-breeds,
and everything in between. A while back, I had the pleasure to interview my new
friend, Emma Ennis. She is visiting
the ECS as a guest and sharing loads of interesting insights into her work. Be
sure to look around and see what she has to offer. Here are the results of our
interview. A good time was truly had by all, and here’s how it went down.
Hi there Emma! It’s so awesome to have you here at the ECS Universe. Don’t
worry about the darkness, your eyes will adjust.
So tell me, who is Emma Ennis?
I am an aspiring author, struggling with a demanding social
life and the necessity to perform 'real' work in return for cash. Despite said
hectic social demands, my love life is nonexistent, but I do cohabit with innumerable
moggies and mutts. From Ireland, living in Norway; I like reading, writing, but not
arithmetic. I enjoy dabbling in various forms of extreme sports for the heck of
it. I have futile hopes of someday living off the sweat of my fingertips and writing
until senility takes over, and even then I plan to make a pretty decent stab at
it. You've been warned.
You are quite the character
and very lively. I can tell already that this is going to be a very
entertaining interview.
So whacha got for me today?
Red wine and words. Of course the former not
literally. That's the
title of my book – Red Wine and Words. It's a collection
of sixteen short stories ranging from horror to humor, fantasy to suspense,
psychological horror to mystery and tragedy. In a nutshell – eclectic. It's
gotten some pretty good, non-coerced reviews so far, and I've been flattered
(and not to mention a little dubious) to be compared to more than a few big
names. The book comes 'highly recommended' and has been described as a
'chilling collection' with stories that remain with the reader long after
they've finished.
I must admit that I really
like this title, though it doesn’t make me think of short stories. I applaud
those who can put together a collection such as this. I’ve been trying for a
while and am still trying. Kudos!
So who’s starring is this 2
dimensional script read of Red wine and words?
Well as I said, Red Wine and Words is a collection of
unrelated short stories, so there's a large lead role cast. I'll just give a few examples.
Ewart Boone is the main man in 'Frozen Outpost,' the third story in the collection. He's
an all-American guy, in love with his childhood sweetheart, and is sent out
into the snowy north to set up an outpost. But there's something else out there
that wants Ewart, something that lumbers straight from the realms of lore.
Nathaniel, or Nate, is the protagonist-come-antagonist of
'Tainted Wings.' He's not the most honest, or polite, and he most definitely is not into
cuddling kittens. In fact, he's not even human. He's a tempter, whose job it is to lure the good and
innocent off their righteous paths. But when his friend enlists his help to
rescue his beloved, Nate must dig deep to root out that other, in some ways
more disturbing, side of his nature.
'Cornflower Blue' is a tragedy following Calvin and his fall
into love with a distraught woman who he finds standing barefoot in the snow on
a street corner one day on his way
to work. The woman goes to that corner at the same time every morning,
to stare at a poster of a missing boy. What is it that bedevils her so, and is she too far immersed in her nightmare for him to
rescue?
Wonderful descriptions and
quick peeks into some of your characters here; you definitely have my
attention. You weren’t kidding about the multi-genre nature of this collection.
I believe you may truly have something here for everyone. Nice job!
Past, present, future, is
there a rhyme or reason to your writing?
As you might
be able to tell from Red Wine and Words, I don't have any set genre so to speak. If something grabs me
and speaks to me, then I must write it, be it horror, tragedy or romance. Most
of what I write has some kind of psychological aspect to it, and many of my
pieces deal with love and loss.
When I sit
down to write something that has been on my mind it's a long process before I
actually type the first words. Plot is central to my writing. No matter how
deep your characters or how colourful your descriptions of the scene, in my
mind if the story doesn't have a strong plot then it just feels hollow.
So I will
research the time and place, which usually results in a virtual folder full of
images and links. I will give each character their own page where I jot down
names, relationships, appearance, personalities etc. Then, the plot. This could
take up five pages, or a whole notepad. I detail it like a flow chart, each
scene in its own little bubble which links on to the next. Outside of these
bubbles may be little notes regarding scenery, dialogue etc.
When I'm
writing I prefer silence. I know of some authors who like music in the
background, but not I. What with work, social duties, and the annoying
persistence of real life, the writing usually gets bundled into one tiny time slot, so you may see me
typing with one hand while I shovel dinner into my mouth with the other. But
this is only if I'm really stuck for time. Mostly I prefer to have both hands
and all brain cells on the writing process. That's not to say I don't like the
odd glass of wine as I scribe, but I prefer to lay off the sauce for editing.
As Hemmingway said: 'Write drunk, edit sober.
I've just
finished a novel that is set to be the first in a trilogy. The plot is quite
complex as it deals with a conspiracy of sorts and mixes Christianity with the
supernatural. It still needs another edit before it's finalized, but I'm
thinking of holding it back until the other two are finished as I don't want to
miss anything.
In the
meantime, while this is left to stew, I'm working on editing and completing the
second collection of short stories. I felt Red Wine and Words could use a
little sister to play with.
Everyone has their own
creative ways of planning and plotting their stories, I think yours is the most
visually creative I’ve come across so far. It’s cool to hear that you’re
working on novel series and a companion for Red Wine and Words…There you go
keeping yourself busy ;)
What author(s) has most
influenced your writing? Why or how?
I am a sucker for the classics, probably the hopeless
romantic in me
rearing its simpering head. There are some books that have never
left me, despite the fact that it could be ten years or more since I last read
them – Wuthering Heights, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, To Kill a Mockingbird. I’m not sure if I could
say that the authors ‘influenced’ me as such, but I have always wanted to write
a love story so tragic, a horror so subtle, or a drama so gripping as these.
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I have on more than one occasion, had my work compared to H.P Lovecraft,
although I have to confess that I’ve never read any of his stuff, and now I’m
afraid to in case I lose that ‘thing’ that associates me with him.
In a similar though different manner, I have also been
compared to the great Mr.
Conan Doyle. I have read most if not all of his Holmes books, so
maybe some of these stuck and came
through in my own writing. Whatever the reason, I am proud and humbled to have
my name mentioned in the same sentence.
I find that I’m influenced by
other writers in terms of being inspired, but not actually by honing in on their
techniques and skills, though I’d sometimes like to. I write the way I write
and maybe that’s just how you are too. It’s nice, and not to mention freak’n
cool, to be compared to the likes of Lovecraft and Doyle, but one day, just
think, others will be compared to you.
Whose brain are you just itching to scratch?
Oh, so many, so many. You, or I, could be sorry you asked
that! I guess I’d have to start with Edgar Allan
Poe; the man was a genius. His
stories have that quality of horror that is just so hard to find these days –
such darkness, such despair - I’d love to get some tips and pointers from him.
I would like
to sit down for a drink with Ernest Hemmingway. This man too, was a genius in
my eyes. How he could pack so much into the tiny story ‘The Old Man and the
Sea’ just fascinates me. I dream of being able to recreate that someday, some
time.
Just lately I've discovered Charles Bukowski and I have to say, he blows me
away. Now and again I come across a quote on the internet and I know instantly
it's him. He's got that no-nonsense, and oftentimes vulgar (which I love), way
of driving a point home. This man doesn't need a thesaurus; he can make one
word paint a thousand pictures.
Then of course there’s Johnny Depp, but that’s a whole other kettle of
fish. I hear he’s single these days?
Love Poe, like Hemmingway, and
heard of Bukowski; I think these would be a few good brains to scratch…I have
feeling though, it’s not Johnny’s brain you want scratch, but that’s ok. He’s a
little crazy, but on him, a little crazy looks really good.
Who is so you and why?
That’s a tricky one. And it really depends
on where I am in life. Everyone knows that when they are heartbroken or pining
for someone every song or every role of the miserable damsel seems to be
written just for them.
Sometimes I feel like Bridget Jones [book, movie]with the whole
‘dying alone in my
apartment and getting eaten by dogs’ lifestyle. But most of the time I’m
convinced I’m the main character in a Truman Show kind of scenario. Some
coincindences are just too coincidental.
And that’s all well and good – makes for some interesting story ideas - but if
this really is the case then I gotta break down a set wall and find the
f@&*er who’s responsible for my script!
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| Amazon.com |
I feel you with that last
comment. If I’m stuck in a reality show, I’ve got a bone to pick with my
writer, director, and most of all my producer. Being Bridget Jones wouldn’t be
all too bad, she did have a few loyal friends to help through her tough times
and that’s got to count for something.
What’s your ideal reading spot for your next highly anticipated read?
One of two
places – snuggled up in bed at the end of a long day, with my kitty washing
herself at my feet, or curled up on the sofa with family members or friends doing their own thing in
various other parts of the room; everyone safe, snug and content. That, right
there, is a little slice of heaven to me; companionship without the need for
conversation.
I personally need to feel the physical book in my hands. There’s
nothing like getting a new book and feeling the cover – embossed or not? – and
the pages. Is the print small or large? Is there a picture of the author? Can
you smell that – ink and
paper, a scent new yet at the same
time ancient and unforgettable. I love the weight of a hardback, but the
ease of a paperback. Nothing is missed – I read the back, I stare at the cover
to make connections between the image and the story inside. Foreword,
biography, introductions? Doesn’t matter, I devour them all.
I don’t own
a Kindle or any other brand of ereader and I hope to get through life without
ever owning one. How could it ever surpass the magic of the above? I do have
Kindle for PC, but only because since I started writing I have made a lot of writer
friends, and sometimes some of these friends will send me their books in full
or sections for reviews or beta reading. It’s just easier to exchange electronic copies. And it
would not be very flexible of me to insist they send me whole manuscripts or
expensive published copies via snail mail.
At the
minute I’m reading The Black Death of Babylon by Edward J.
McFadden. I’ve only started but I’m stuck into it. Unfortunately this is a
friend, so it’s one of those electronic ones I don’t get to snuggle with, but
the next physical book, hmmmm, I’ll probably go back to Sleepy Hollow by Washington
Irving. Sleepy Hollow is only one of numerous short stories in the
book so I had taken a break from it for a while, but it’s calling me back.
After that I’ve just got to get into some Neil Gaiman stuff. I’d always thought of his books
as similar to John Grisham type court dramas, but a friend set me on the
straight and narrow a few months back, and my curiosity a-tweaking.
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Everyone has a preference when
it comes to how they want to read. Some people refuse to go digital while
others can’t remember what print looks likes. I figure as long as people are
reading, let them have their preferences. It’s nice to live in a world with
choices like these. I myself read whatever I can: on the PC, e-reader,
hardcover, paperback, even audio…Your little slice of heaven sounds extremely
nice and pleasant.
What was your favorite book or
story, pre-teen years?
I started reading at an early age, and most of it not very
appropriate reading. I would see my sister at it the whole time, and used to
mimic her. Eventually I started to take in the words I was looking at. I well
remember attempting Anne
Rice’s Servant of the Bones when I was way too young.
A woman after my own heart, I
can’t believe you enjoyed reading these comic books, but truly think it’s cool.
I’m a big kid and still read my favorite comic books- Now, young lady, what
were you doing trying to read Servant of Bones when you were a pre-teen? LOL!…Now this is where the
questions get a little kooky; are you ready?
Indubitably!
Alright then, here we go.
If you could only watch one
movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I have two here, one a guilty pleasure, the other a pure
pleasure. We’ll start with the former and hopefully I can cover up my shame
with the latter. The first is ‘The Last of the Mohicans.’ Gulp!
Though the movie does stray considerably from the plot of
the book (which I also loved) it still gets me every time. A great love story
and a beautiful romance – I will find
you, Cora! – coupled with a truly goosebumping soundtrack.
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That’s phenomenal! I have met
very few people who have seen Pan’s Labyrinth and even fewer who liked it or
understood it. I think it’s a great movie. Aside from all the depth and meaning
the movie has, it’s worth seeing just for its stunning imagery and visuals. The
Last of the Mohicans isn’t too bad either.
What makes you geek out?
Playstation. I love gaming but I’m more into the platform,
storymode type of gaming than online gaming. Two-player is great fun if the game has a collaborative option
such as Special Ops and so on, but in storymode I like to complete the game
myself. I have annoyed many people with my OCD approach to gaming. I like to
explore the environment, do all the side missions, climb things that were never
meant to be climbed. In my mind someone
somewhere had a vision, they sat down and drew it; it’s only right that I
should take the time to appreciate it rather than charge straight through from start to finish.
On the ‘geek out’ note, the highlight of my year was the
release of Max Payne 3. I’ve only been waiting, like, forever!
A female gamer, wow- and
you’re grown! I just don’t see how some lucky person hasn’t scooped you up yet.
My husband still can’t believe he found a woman who loves comic books as much
as he does…For the record, I like your OCD approach to gaming and think it
makes perfect sense that you’d not prefer online gaming.
When the soundtrack of your
life is playing in your head, what songs express your glee and what songs bring
out your rage?
That’s not to say I’m living in the past. I do love The Kings of Leon,
and Muse are
really growing on me. I think the problem is that Norway is a little behind in
the charts, so when I got here they were starting to play all the songs I was
already sick of so I stopped listening to the radio.
My all-time favourite song? Probably Heroes by David Bowie
(or anything Bowie really,) or maybe Promontory
[<= listen]
from The Last of the Mohicans soundtrack. Flipside? If you play Gangnam Style I
will rip you a new one.
I, once again, completely
understand your feelings; Gangnam Style
has to stop. Being a music lover I find
that I can relate to most people’s sense of what is good or bad music, unless they
just don’t like music, which some people don’t. Again, I’m glad we live in a
world with so many options.
What’s the most fun experience
you’ve ever had, to date?
Holy hell, there’s been so many. Though I suppose most of
them would be more memorable than just fun. Anything extreme gets my adrenaline
pumping. There’s nothing like finding a quality piece of off-piste to bring a smile on my face (and
usually, due to the temperatures and the downhill speed, some excited dribble
also.)
I’ve been quading, wakeboarding, cliff-jumping, kayaking,
rafting, bungee jumping, abseiling, and flying in a wind tunnel, and though
most bring a grimace of fear at the same time as a smile of delight, I have the
most fun when I’m testing my boundaries and facing certain fears of impending
doom. That’s not to say I’m going to go looking for the biggest spider to
cuddle – that fear shall forever remain un-faced.
The simplest fun though – that’s always got to be hanging
out with my nearest and dearest. No matter where we are or for what reason, we
always manage to have good, (oftentimes) clean fun. Months could pass in
between these gatherings, but we can still slip back into the banter as though
it was yesterday.
You are quite the adventurer. While my husband enjoys bungee jumping, going on a roller-coaster is the extent of my extreme thrilling. I love that your best moments are any that are spent with the people you care most about. I guess in the end, a fun time isn’t that fun it you’re by yourself.
You are quite the adventurer. While my husband enjoys bungee jumping, going on a roller-coaster is the extent of my extreme thrilling. I love that your best moments are any that are spent with the people you care most about. I guess in the end, a fun time isn’t that fun it you’re by yourself.
Remind me again how I was lucky enough to meet you?
I’m always trying to keep up with the latest social
networking doohickeys all the cool kids are using. I may be a little slow on the uptake, but I get there
eventually. As time consuming as it is, I think it’s probably necessary to
promoting myself. Recently I registered with LinkedIn, joined the Book
Marketing forum, and it was there that I met
you. The rest, as they say, is history!
And what a wonderful history
it is and will continue to be. I’m so glad we had a chance to get to know each
other. Thank you for stopping by to share a little with my followers, and yours,
this week.
Not that you can see into the
future, but in your opinion, what does the future hold?
Crazy cat lady? Running around in diapers with my sisters in
an assisted living home? No
seriously, the dream is to be a recognized writer. I don’t mean that I strive
for fame and fortune (I prefer to keep my mug away from microphones and stages;
interviews, readings, launches,
etc. terrify me) but just enough so I can write fulltime and not have to spend
hours of my free time every day promoting myself when I could be writing.
I truly see this happening, I’m just not certain of the
timeframe and I’m not best known for my patience. I have any amount of really
cool ideas for novels and I plan to keep writing until I run out of these ideas or until somebody comes up and begs me to
please, for the love of all that’s holy, stop torturing humankind with my
drivel.
Outside of writing - travel, travel, travel. I plan to move
myself home to Ireland later this year, set up a base camp, then head to The
Philippines, Malaysian Borneo and Indonesia to volunteer in an animal shelter,
on an organic farm, and teaching English to underprivileged kids respectively.
I'll have to make some pit stops at home and Norway now and again to gather up funds
and show my face, but from this year on my tour of the world begins.
Of course I’d also love to meet the man of my dreams who’ll
sweep me off my feet and take me away from all this rather than just to bed,
but that’s all in another day’s work!
Ok humans, half-breeds, and
everything in between, that’s all for today. Be sure to follow this blog to see
who will be visiting next time. For more from Emma Ennis, check out these great
links:
Her blog: http://authoremmaennis.blogspot.com
Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/TerriblyWittyIdeasByEmmaEnnis
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Emma-Ennis/e/B004HDT2MS/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1354037838&sr=1-2-ent
Red Wine and
Words on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Red-Wine-Words-Emma-Ennis/dp/0615574416/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366118350&sr=1-1&keywords=red+wine+and+words
Facebook personal profile: http://www.facebook.com/emma.ennis1
