Archive for the ‘Interviews’ Category

22
Jul

Interview with Tee Morris

   Posted by: Gemini   in Books, Interviews, Podcasting

The third, and final (for a while at least), interview comes to you today from the keyboard of Tee Morris.  He’s offered up some eye opening insight to where Billibub came from and displays some truly excellent taste in dinner companions and music.

Tee is half of the team lately known as Double Trouble and is releasing his book The Case of the Pitcher’s Pendant: A Billibub Baddings Mystery on 08.08.08.  He’s sharing the date with the other half of the team, Philippa Ballantine, as they race up the Amazon.com charts.

That said, all the world is a stage, now on with the show…

TEE:  To be fair, I’m waiting to finish this questionnaire and THEN I’m going to go read Ballantine’s answers. (You know, she would be just a rudderless ship in the South Pacific without me, you know that?) So, let’s go with the questions!

TWW:  What inspired Billibub Baddings?
TEE:  I wish I coudl say the inspiration behind Billibub Baddings was a favorite Sam Spade or Mike Hammer mystery, or considering its comic bent the Steve Martin classic film Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid or even the Bugs Bunny classics featuring gangsters Rocky (the pint-sized pinsuit, famous for his one liner “Sheddup!”) and Mugsy (Rocky’s lumbering sidekick, famous for “Dayaaa, okay, Raackee!”). I wish I could say that, but I can’t…

The man I have to thank for Billibub Baddings is Leonard Nimoy.

I was on my way to a play rehearsal (Taming of the Shrew) and I was listening to a cassette (yes, I was still listening to cassettes in 2001) of novelty songs. One of the songs on this mix was “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” sung by Mr. Spock himself. The song is just over a minute-and-a-half long…and it is the longest minute-and-a-half you can ever experience. The song was so dreadful that, naturally, I had to hear it again…and as I was singing along (yes, singing ALONG with it) the second time around, the name “Billibub Baddings” popped into my head. I stopped singing and said out-loud “And the Case of the Singing Sword.”

So before switching my brain from writer to Shakespearean actor, I was frantically getting this idea down on paper. While driving. It’s a skill. And one day, I’ll master it.

TWW: In particular, what inspired the Case of the Pitcher’s Pendant?
TEE: I’m not really sure, to be honest. About halfway through writing The Case of The Singing Sword, I discovered that I had a series; so once I was finished with Legacy of Morevi, I had to seriously think about what Billi’s next case would be. Maybe it was the ball games I yearly attend with my father and brother at Camden Yards. This was something that, oddly enough, started just a few years ago. I never did go crazy for baseball, either on television or at the diamond; but there really is something special about Camden Yards. There’s a certain magic about it; and while I might not be a stats guru when it comes to the sport, I know that I love these afternoons with my dad because of the time spent and the experience. I’m at the ballpark with my dad. Enough said.

That nostalgia, that mythical magic surrounding baseball, pops up in Science Fiction and Fantasy. That comes through in this story. You don’t have to be a fan of the sport to enjoy The Pitcher’s Pendant, and you may not become a fan of baseball because of it; but you may appreciate the passion and the pageantry of the sport. It provided a great backdrop for the mystery, and I think my respect for the sport shows.

TWW: What kind of music would be on Billi’s iPod?
TEE: Actually, by popular demand, Billi’s playlist appeared here on Billi’s blog:

http://www.teemorris.com/billipodcast/archives/63

It’s a lot of jazz, a good helping of Sinatra, Dean, and Sammy, and then a few sultry selections thrown in for good measure. When I write I love having music in the background, and I think my appreciation for music on a whole is evident in my podcasts of both Singing Sword and MOREVI: Remastered. When I wasn’t in the mood for Billi’s playlist, I would play a lot of Rat Pack and Sinatra. Ol’ Blue Eyes kept me going many, many mornings.

TWW: Was there any music or movie that influenced the story or characters?
TEE: It’s hard for me to write Al Capone and not think of Robert DeNiro in The Untouchables. That was a great Al Capone. Simply put. i have a soft spot in my heart for gangster stories (both fictional and real life) and for Mike Hammer. Mickey Spillaine knew how to write a good old fashioned tough guy mystery. As far as the Fantasy aspect of the series, I think much of Billi’s world is inspired by the works of my favorite Epic Fantasy authors, J.R.R. Tolkein and Terry Brooks.

A bit of trivia for both Singing Sword and Pitcher’s Pendant - the Singing Sword’s real name is the Sword of Arannahs. Arannahs is “Shannara” spelled backwards. That was my tip of the hat to Terry (who got a kick out of that), and the Pitcher’s Pendant is also a nod to a writer-friend of mine who is a Yankees fan. I figure naming the talismans after friends or heroes of mine in the genre will be a fun challenge.

By accident I think Billi’s biggest influence from the big screen is Humphrey Bogart. With Erol Flynn and Rafe Rafton, I saw Captain Blood long AFTER I finished MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana. The same thing happened with Billi. It was after I finished The Pitcher’s Pendant that I saw The Maltese Falcon. I’m not sure if it was the mysteries I had seen on television and read in books, or if it was the influence Bogie had on our culture with that film but I was taken aback at how close to Sam Spade Billi came. In light of that, I give a tip of the hat to Dashell Hammet in Pitcher’s Pendant.

Can you tell I was having a lot of fun writing this book?

TWW: If you could have dinner with anyone in the entertainment industry (dead or alive) who would it be and why?
TEE: I think I would want to sit down and have dinner with three people — William Shakespeare, Ian McKellen, and Kenneth Branagh. I’d want to just have an afternoon with them at the Dogfish Alehouse (Gaithersburg, MD because that is more central for my Twitter friends to reach us at). Good food. GREAT beer. And we would talk shop. I can just hear it now…

Me - “Bill, Measure for Measure…dude, what were you thinking?!”
Will - “Look I was in a weird place when I wrote that.”
Sir Ian - “You’re telling me. Troilus and Cressida and All’s Well That Ends Well?”
Will - “Well, after Hamlet, where do you go?”
Ken - *staring at his beer* “What was I thinking?”
Me - “Excuse me?”
Ken - *slur becoming more prominent* “Helena Bonham-Carter?! I mean, I was hitting Emma Thompson and I gave it up to Bonham-Carter…”
Sir Ian - *rolls his eyes* “Oh dear, here we go again…”
Will - “Who’s Helena Bonham-Carter?”
Me - “Exactly.” *pats Ken on the shoulder* “Bro, I told you to go easy on the 120-minute IPA.”
Ken - *sobbing in his napkin*
Me - “Oh come on…your Hamlet is definitive, and you give a great Richard III…”
Sir Ian - *arching an eyebrow* “Not as good as my Nazi Richard.”
Will - *nods* “Yeah…the Duke of Glouster…full of awesome…”

Talking shop with these guys?  Yeah, that would be a lot of fun!

TWW: Pretend you’re casting Billi, who do you see playing him?
TEE: Sadly the actor I think would have done the role justice is no longer with us. The actor was David Rappaport and he appeared in quite a few movies, but his signature role was Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits. He was “Randall”, the leader of the gang. That performance still holds up and I could easily see him kicking ass in the role.  Of course, visually, I could see John Rhys-Daves stepping up (pardon the pun) and, with the same make up and clever camera trick, filling the dwarf detective’s shoes. With the advancements in film and film-making anyone could really do this role, but they have to have the right look and carriage.

I wouldn’t mind seeing some unknowns sink their teeth into Billi. Heck, blue skying the idea of a Billi movie is nice…but for the book to do that, it will need some serious love and attention from the readers. I’ll have to get cracking on selling those extra few thousand copies.

TWW: Will you podcast The Case of the Pitcher’s Pendant?
TEE: I’d love to, but it won’t be for another two years. I’ve got MOREVI to finish, and then it’s time to write the third MOREVI, podcast Legacy of MOREVI, and then get to work reaching out to people for the podcast anthology. All this and I’ve got other writing projects in the works. So while people may really want to hear the Pitcher’s Pendant as a podcast, it won’t be for some time. I need to focus on my ninjas and pirates right now.

TWW: Do you find it more enjoyable to write or to podcast?
TEE: I serve two mistresses, writing and podcasting. I really need to watch how I distribute the time between them, and with real life continuing to intrude, that is an even greater challenge. As I type this, it’s Monday and I have a blog post to complete for Imagine That! Studios and a final scene to finish compiling for Chapter Fifteen of MOREVI: Remastered. People constantly ask me “Where do I make the time?” and lately it’s been getting more and more difficult. I’m having to make some tough calls and even harder decisions because as much as I would love to keep all the irons in the fire, you also have to tend to the fire itself and make sure it is still burning. To do that, you need to balance out the time and the energy between the passions, and then decide which one takes priority.

I do love podcasting, but the closer Double Trouble comes, the more I realize that writing has to come first. People grok the podcasts, but they want me to produce the fiction too. So, there it is.

TWW: Between Morevi and Billibub which has your fans clamoring for more?
TEE: I have two factions of fans. There is some crossover, sure, but I find I have fans who LOVE the swashbuckling epics of MOREVI. They love Rafe, Askana, and their adventures. Billi’s fun and all, but MOREVI is the really GOOD stuff! Then there’s the other group of fans who think pirates, ninjas, and magic is all well and good, but it is the Billibub Baddings Mysteries where we see the true talent of Tee Morris. This is flattering, sure, but this also means that with every new book there will be people that will be thrilled or disappointed. I’m not pleasing all of my fans with the release of The Pitcher’s Pendant, especially with the cliffhanger I left people with in Legacy of Morevi. (Something I’m still beating myself up over.)

What I tell my readers, fans, and friends is that I am writing as fast as I can; but I want it to be right, and I want it to be good. I also want to write other works and reach out to new readers as well. The rewarding aspect of this strife though is that this is good to stress out about. People want both series equally. This means I’m not a one trick pony as a writer, but that I have a core of readers that want new fiction from Tee Morris. That is a very good thing, and I’m okay with that.

I just wish I could write faster.

TWW: Going away from the book for the moment, what means of entertainment do you pursue in your free time?
TEE: Believe it or not, I do have free time…and I get as far away from the computer as I can. I run and I swim (far better than what is depicted here — http://www.nzsportsnews.co.nz/vid.php?id=95528 — thanks a frelling lot, Ballantine!), and this has helped me get into a better physical and mental state for my writing. If I suddenly lock up or feel there is no drive left for me to produce, I know I’m working too hard and I need to break from technology. Unplug and either go for a run or get wet.

Alright, not COMPLETELY unplug, I do workout with the iPod.

I also love my movies and “brain food” television. The Discovery Channel and History Channel provide endless fodder for writers, and when I need to decompress, I’m there. I tend to be very, very picky about my television shows because I don’t want to get sucked into a show and then lose even more production time; but down time is essential. Everyone needs to decompress from time to time.

TWW: With DragonCon around the corner would you consider cos-play?
TEE: I would, if I had the right costume and the right look.

TWW:  Who would you dress up as?
TEE: I had planned to go to DragonCon as a Steampunk Podcaster, but the idea due to time and budget constraints fell through. I haven’t given up on that idea, but if not now I will definitely give it a go for next year.

TWW: On the subject of DragonCon and cos-play how would you costume your nemesis Philippa Ballantine?
TEE: A burlap sack and a sandwich board reading “I OWE MY WRITING AND PODCASTING SUCCESS TO TEE MORRIS!” would definitely work for me. I hear burlap is the new black.

No, seriously…

I would love to see Pip done up as Sive the Shining, complete with the violet contacts, from when she appeared to Will at the riverbank in Chasing the Bard. I caught a glimpse of it when Pip and I did a signing at the Maryland Renaissance festival in 2006, and Pip really rocked with the Tudor look. With the violet contacts, black hair, and right outfit, I bet she would stop traffic as Sive.

I also wouldn’t say no to Pip being my co-host opposite of the Steampunk Podcaster.  That would have been good fun.

TWW: Some quick favorites:
TEE: Actress - Tricia Helfer (from BSG to Burn Notice…WOW!)
Actor - David Tennant (from Harry Potter to Doctor Who…WOW!)
Movie - Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (Truly the FINAL Indy movie.)
Musician/Band - Queen
Video Game - Propcycle
Podcast - Yes, all of them
Writer - Joss Whedon
TV Show - Dirty Jobs

TWW: If you could recommend one means of entertainment (movie, TV show, band, etc.) to the world, what would it be?
TEE: Podcasting. It’s the world on your iPod. You can’t beat it.

TWW: When is the Amazon.com run for The Case of the Pitcher’s Pendant?
TEE: 08.08.08 and the fun will commence at 8:00 a.m. PST. Pip and I are trying to figure out what we are going to do online in the way of interaction with the community — something with video, Twitter, or something! Stay tuned on the Billi and Chasing the Bard blogs for more!

TWW: And finally, is there any hope of seeing you in Austin, Texas for a book signing?
TEE: If I could, I would. It’s all in the finances and what I can afford in the ways of travel.  Good to know I’m welcome there! :)

After reading this I’ve come to the conclusion I need to keep a little mirror handy for very strange words.  First JK Rowling hits us with the Mirror of Erised and then Tee Morris gives us the Sword of Arannahs.  It’s a cute tribute to one of my favorite authors and reminds me that if it hadn’t been for Terry Brooks’ Sword of Shannara I probably wouldn’t have ever read Rowling and Morris to begin with.

You can find out more about Tee Morris on his website.  From there you will also find links to his writing podcast, The Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy; both his podcasted novels, Morevi Remasted (in progress) and The Case of the Singing Sword (completed).  He also wrote two Dummies books on podcasting and is one of the legends who brought us podcasted fiction to begin with.

You can his order his newest book, The Case of the Pitcher’s Pendant, from Amazon.com on 08.08.08, leaving you 18 days to save your pennies and help race Tee up the charts.

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21
Jul

Interview with Philippa Ballantine

   Posted by: Gemini   in Books, Interviews, Podcasting

We have a treat for you to day folks, our second interview!  Our beloved Kiwi, Philippa Ballantine, took time out of her schedule to flip through the questions I sent and apply her mind to them.  I confess to have found many of her answers surprising and certainly won’t argue with her choices for Favorite Actor and Movie.

Pip is sharing the release date of 08.08.08 with her Uber Nemesis Tee Morris for the release of her book Digital Magic, the many years later sequel to Chasing the Bard.  August 8th is also her birthday so let’s be sure to make it a special one and send her book flying up the Amazon.com charts on that special day.

For now, however, the application of her brilliant mind to my silly questions:

TWW -  What inspired Chasing the Bard and its squeal Digital Magic?
Pip - Chasing the Bard was mostly a writer’s curiosity about another writer- and when you are thinking of writers, they don’t get any better than Shakespeare. His ability to tap into humanity’s nature is so great that it made me wonder… was it magical? These idle thoughts turned to the Fey, because I have always had a love of myth and legend. There are many myths in the world of a ‘dark goddess’, a terrible and beautiful force to be reckoned with, and that is where Sive came from.

TWW - What kind of music would be on Sive’s iPod?
Pip - Sive most appreciates Celtic Music. Steve McDonald, Lorenna McKennitt and Capercallie would be on there. But then some Nine Inch Nails also might be on there for those moments of death and destruction she occasionally has to deal out.

TWW -  Was there any music or movie that influenced the stories or characters?
Pip - Strangely enough the only influence I can recall was a show that was on while I was writing CTB, and that was program called Roar, which starred a young Heath Ledger- set in Ireland while Rome occupied Britain. The vibe was Celtic and sexy and good fun. The interesting thing was that I finished writing Chasing the Bard just when Shakespeare in Love came out. I remember being annoyed thinking everyone would think that was the inspiration for my novel.

TWW - If you could have dinner with anyone in the entertainment industry (dead or alive) who would it be and why?
Pip - I’d love to have Peter Jackson. We do live in the same city, so maybe that is possible one day. His determination and art are something I have always admired. But if we are talking dead people, I’d love to have dinner with Errol Flynn, but then that would have been a dangerous thing for any woman to do, so maybe I will stick with Pete.

TWW - Pretend you’re casting Sive and Puck, who do you see playing them?
Pip - Sive would be a young Catherine Zeta Jones. I don’t know about Puck, he’s a hard one to pull off. The actor would have to be a child and pulling off his very non-childlike behavior would be difficult. It was just as difficult finding the right voice for him.

TWW - Will you podcast Digital Magic?  If so, would the production be as grand as Chasing the Bard has been?
Pip - Oh yes, I will podcast Digital Magic, the bug has really bitten me. And after having such fun with it, the production will be just the same level as Chasing the Bard because that wouldn’t be fair!

TWW - Going away from the book for the moment, what means of entertainment do you pursue in your free time?
Pip - When time allows, which lately it hasn’t, I enjoy watching movies, cross-stitching and gardening. And of course, I love travel which is turning out to be rather handy with all the hours I am having to clock in on planes.

TWW - With DragonCon around the corner would you consider cos-play?  Who would you dress up as?
Pip - Yes, I would love to get dressed up! The problem is of course the amount of luggage I’m allowed to bring over from New Zealand. I’d probably go for something Steam Punk inspired, a pirate, or maybe a Fey. I’d love to have the slightly pointed ears and commanding presence of Sive, but I don’t think I am quite tall enough.

TWW - On the subject of DragonCon and cos-play how would you costume your uber-nemesis Tee Morris?
Pip - Naturally the Uber Nemesis would have to be Captain Rafeton!

TWW - Some quick favorites:
Pip - Actress - Kate Winslet
Actor - Christian Bale
Movie - Bladerunner
Musician/Band - New Zealand rock band Shihad
Video Game - World of Warcraft (though I can’t play right now with writing and podcasting- it takes too much of my time too easily)
Podcast - Quarter Share
Writer – David Gemmell
TV Show – Doctor Who

TWW - If you could recommend one means of entertainment (movie, TV show, band, etc.) to the world, what would it be?
Pip - New Zealand has a wonderful blues singer called Hollie Smith. She has the most amazing voice and she is working on a US album right now, I think she is going to blow the rest of the world’s mind in the coming years.

TWW - When is the Amazon.com run for Digital Magic?
Pip - It all begins 8am PST (11AM EST)  8th of August 2008

TWW - And finally, is there any hope of seeing you in Austin, Texas for a book signing?
Pip - Not this year unfortunately, but I suspect this is not my last trip to the States. There is still so much of the States to see and I want to take it all in.

You can find more out about Philippa Ballantine at her website The Pen and the Sword and discover her writing and podcasting talent on Chasing the Bard or as Queen Askana in Morevi: Remastered.

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19
Jul

Interview with Mighty Mur Lafferty

   Posted by: Gemini   in Books, Interviews, Podcasting

Do I need to go over how much I worship Mur Lafferty again?!  I sang her praises in a article all of her own, have devoured every podcast she’s released and am anxiously awaiting the new release of Playing for Keeps.  She is the Granddame of Podcasting, a fantastic writer and one of the nicest people I’ve ever traded e-mails with.

She was also nice enough to go along with my totally old fashion interview process.  That’s right boys and girls, the first ever Time Well Wasted interview is with she of the purple hair, the Mighty Mur Lafferty.  And I can’t thank her enough for taking the time to answer the silly questions I e-mailed her way.

Now then, on with the show:

TWW -  What inspired Playing for Keeps?
ML - I’ve always been a superhero fan, but wondered why all the “super powers” were crime-fighting (or crime-causing) powers. So I explored that.

TWW - If Keepsie had an iPod what would be on it?
ML - She’s an unapologetic 80’s music fan, from the bubblegum pop to punk. So evertyhing from Katrina and the Waves to the Damned.

TWW - Was there any music or movie that influenced the story or characters?
ML - honestly none that I can think of…

TWW - If you could have dinner with anyone in the entertainment industry (dead or alive) who would it be and why?
ML - Right now? Probably Paul Lieberstein. I’m obsessed with The Office and would love to pick the minds of the writers to see how they come up with that sharp dialogue.

TWW - How did the idea of Keepsie’s power come to you?
ML - When you play marbles, you play for “keepsies” and I always thought that sounded like a nickname. So if it was someone’s nickname, why would it be? Then I realized she kept everything that was hers.

TWW - Where did the “Power over Elevators” come from?
ML - DragonCon many years ago, my friend Jason (who that character is named for) seemed to have the power that every time he pushed the button, the elevator would come.

TWW - Pretend you’re casting Keepsie, who do you see playing her?
ML - Janeane Garofalo

TWW - Did you have a victory theme for hearing Playing for Keeps had been picked up for publication?
ML - “Playing For Keeps” by Beatnik Turtle always seems fitting.  :)

TWW - Going away from the book for the moment, what means of entertainment do you pursue in your free time?
ML - TV- The Office, CSI, Battlestar Galactica, Heroes (obviously)
Movies- not many, with the kiddo and the babysitting issues.
Books- focusing on urban fantasy and feminist SF literature right now
Games- Mario Kart Wii, Pokemon and Sim City on the DS, and City of Heroes on the PC

TWW - In your first Suicide Girls column you counted years by Mario Kart releases, who’s your favorite driver?
ML - I actually don’t have one! I have been trying to find my favorite, but haven’t settled yet. I like Birdo, Dry Bones, King Boo and Rosalina.

TWW - How big has the demand/request for a PFK sequel been?
ML - Pretty good, most all of the feedback I get includes “where’s the next one.” So if it sells well, I’ll get started on that.  :)

TWW - Some quick favorites:
ML - Actress - Uma Thurman
Actor - Edward Norton
Movie - The Matrix
Musician/Band - They Might Be Giants
Video Game - World of Warcraft
Podcast - Right now? Metamor City.
Writer – Connie Willis or Neil Gaiman, depending on my mood
TV Show – The Office

TWW - When is the Amazon.com run for Playing for Keeps?
ML - August 25!

TWW - And finally, is there any hope of seeing you in Austin, Texas for a book signing?
ML - That is the curse of small press - no book tour. So no plans to hit Texas any time soon.  :(  Sorry!

Again, I simply can’t thank Mur enough for this opportunity, I’m simply honored that she consented to be the first of the interviews for Time Well Wasted.  You can find much, much more on Mur Lafferty at The Murverse, and I hope you’ll pick up your copy of the brilliant novel Playing for Keeps when it makes it’s Amazon run on August 25, 2008.

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