I first met Trent Zelazny on Facebook about two years ago. We've become good friends and writing colleagues. Trent is the editor of a forthcoming anthology in which I'm making my short fiction debut.
     2012 promises to be an important year for Trent. He has just made his debut as a playwright with the production of Not Any Little Girl. Some short fiction will be appearing imminently. I've just gotten a glimpse at his forthcoming novella The Butterfly Potion and his writing gifts are on full display in it's pages.
     Quietly, a new storyteller has emerged who writes with power and beauty. Trent was gracious enough to share his thoughts on his work, his life and background and what's next.






#1: Beginnings--- How did you enter the vineyards of the wordsmith?

In a sense, I was born into it, but it’s not that simple. My father was a writer—a great one—and I always loved books and loved to write. The dream was shattered for me as a kid, by a relative. I don’t think said relative knew what they were doing. Later on, in high school, I began excelling in creative writing. Still a lot of hurdles in there, but, eventually, I decided it was what I was going to do, and I didn’t care what anybody else thought.

#2: The arrival of your first novel follows a lengthy list of short fiction. Do you prefer one form over another?

I tend to enjoy long short fiction best. In other words, novelettes and novellas. That typically tends to be the length I enjoy writing. Unfortunately, it is also probably the least marketable.

#3: What was the inspiration for your novel Destination Unknown?

A rough time in a relationship. I was with a girl and we were going back and forth, back and forth, move in together, move out, etc. During this time I was listening to a lot of 80s pop music, and I read John D. MacDonald’s The Executioners, which was the basis for the film Cape Fear. I was listening to the song “Destination Unknown” by Missing Persons and the whole story came to me by the time the song was over. I sat down and wrote it pretty quickly.

#4: Is there anything interesting or unusual about yourself you'd like to share?

I guess I tend to throw people off their assumptions of who I am. I like a lot of different things and go through phases. Example, I’m a huge NBA basketball fan. A friend asked me while I was in one of my crazy basketball modes, “So, have you stopped writing?” as if it was one or the other. I suffer from PTSD and depression, and coupled with multiple interests, I think people often don’t quite know what to make of me.

#5: What books or authors do you like to read for fun or inspiration?

I love most all kinds of books. My real love is the old pulp crime books. David Goodis, Cornell Woolrich, Charles Williams, Jonathan Craig. For me, that’s the most fun and the most inspiring.

#6: What sparks your imagination, the storyteller inside you?

Almost anything can do it. Like that Missing Persons song. Books and movies inspire. Life scenarios inspire. My own history inspires everything I write. One time I was visiting a friend at a horse ranch. We got to goofing around and he asked me if I’d ever seen a horse take a leak. I opened a story with that as a question—Ever seen a horse take a leak?—and just went with it.

#7: Do you have a 'dream project' you are looking forward to writing?

Not necessarily a dream project, but there are a few things I would very much like to do. I very much want to write a full length stage play. That’s been on my mind for a while. I love reading plays (and screenplays). I just saw the movie Blue Valentine and the entire time I was watching it I was saying to myself, “Man, I wish I could write something like this.” So there are things, I guess, but I think, unless I die before I’d like, I’ll get to them (fingers crossed).

#8: What can readers expect to see from you in the near future? (publications, appearances, etc.)

The next thing folks will see from me is a new novella called Butterfly Potion. It’s a noir tale without being noir, or something like that. I’m quite proud of it, and pleased that Nightscape Press are the folks bringing it out. I also have a short story coming out in the science fiction anthology Fantastic Stories of the Imagination, edited by Warren Lapine. I’m also finishing up my first anthology, A Splintered Mirage, which has been a challenge but also a lot of fun. That will be coming out from Black Curtain Press before too long.

I want to thank Trent for making himself available for this interview.

You may purchase Trent's books through Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Learn more about him and his publications by going to his website via the link below.

     http://trentzelazny.com/

Good reading.

     Yes, it's true.
     Lucky reader, you will soon get to know a legend of popular rock music. He has authored more than 100 songs, many of which you know and listen to to frequently. He's the heart of a famous rock band and has made acclaimed solo albums as well. He writes about his life and his music and much more in a forthcoming memoir.



Pete Townshend's memoir will arrive October 8, 2012.

     Readers have gravitated to stories that thrill and make their blood race for as far back as the dawn of storytelling. We call these stories by many names, horror, mystery, action/adventure, but the category can be summed up in one word.

     Suspense.



     Author Trent Zelazny is making a name for himself in the field of suspense with his gritty tales of dark deeds, thwarted happiness and the tormented souls who live or die by these consequences.
     Previously I reviewed his debut short fiction collection The Day the Leash Gave Way. Today I'll focus attention on his debut novel Destination Unknown.



     Brian and Kate's marriage has seen better days as the novel opens. An unspeakable tragedy has sent each of them spiraling in opposite directions accompanied by demons of their own choosing. They're en route to an out of town gathering, traveling a treacherous mountain road when they encounter trouble on the road and are given a mysterious cargo which will change their lives.
     After arriving home a dangerous adversary invades their lives, demanding the cargo they now possess, a bounty he claims is his.
     Terror escalates as the couple struggles to find answers to the mystery of who their tormentor is, how to be free of him and if they can find a fresh start, saving and repairing their shattered union.
     The novel covers territory familiar to readers of noir mysteries. There is booze, drugs, a pinch of sex and enough unhappiness to populate a shrink's office for months.
     If you enjoy the elements of the genre updated for today you will find a cozy place to rest your eyes as the the couple find out what awaits them at their destination.
     Their future may be unknown, but they find the unknown place to be a good starting point for discovery.
     Enjoy the suspense brought to you by Trent Zelazny.

     It's good to learn some lessons early in life. The importance of truth and integrity are among them.
 
     I met a girl at church when I was eleven or twelve. For some forgotten reason, when she asked me my name I answered, "Frank."



     "I'm Lola. And this is my sister, Patty."
     Maybe it was being perched on the scary precipice of puberty, with all the changes that occur to a young person. You know what I'm talking about. The jungle of the unknown, adulthood, stretched before me. But I thought I might not be interesting enough to hold the girls' attention.
     I was Frank for several months. She was none the wiser and I felt special because I had a separate identity with her that I shared with no one else. I did not add to Frank's story, I was just Frank.
     After a few months of my charade I decided to tell her my real name, that Frank did not exist.
     Even young egos may be delusional. I thought she would find this deception to be clever and be amused by it. Instead she felt I'd made a fool of her and her sister.
     She never spoke to me again.
     Since then I've never tried to pass myself off as anyone else.
     Through the years I've found people respond to me favorably when I'm just being myself.
     I'd rather have people like or dislike the real me than someone who may be likable but isn't real at all.
     Young or insecure people are frequently overheard saying, "I want to be somebody."
     You ARE somebody. Be yourself. You'll be happier for it and others will delight in the uniqueness of you.
     Don't pretend to be someone you're not. You don't want someone's first impression of you to be that you're a liar.

     Truth matters. Your words are gifts. Unwrap them carefully.

     My name is Curt Jarrell. I am a writer and a bookseller.
     It's nice to meet you.

     I'm sharing this now in anticipation of hopes being dashed once more. Some things don't work out. In hindsight this is often a good thing. At my age finding love is tricky business. I don't expect it anymore but am open to the possibility.



     I was interested in a co-worker, getting to know her over a period of a few months. We went out several times enjoying dinners and films and we always had a good time.
     One evening over a dinner at her place I mentioned being interested in a closer relationship with her. She told me I was brave and that it took a lot of courage to say something like that to a person, to be vulnerable and open about feelings. I asked her if she ever thought of me that way.
     "Once or twice."
     The ugly recoil came next. A change of heart quickly followed and I was struck by her next words.
     "No. I've never felt that way at all."
     Words I didn't want to hear.
     To have your feelings expressed, acknowledged, then dismissed as being unshared is the cruelest blow to a man's ego, his heart, his spirit.
     We no longer speak. I don't know what was going on that she changed her mind about what she wanted to express but the giving and the taking back wounded me.   

      I proceed with caution. I never want that kind of pain again.

Here's the book jacket for the new novel from Trent Zelazny. If you enjoy noir and suspense fiction you'll want to check out the latest from this rising star of the printed and cyber pages.

     The arrival of the e-reader has made bookselling a much tougher job, and not for the reasons you may think. Thanks to the insular nature of e-book purchase and consumption of digital materials, there are things which are nearly impossible to do now with regards to bookselling.
     And the reader loses out.

--- It is nearly impossible for a bookseller to know what is popular in the marketplace. This is not entirely due to the e-reader arrival, but they didn't help either. First we had the big publishing houses selling their books through big box retailers, diluting and skewing the market. (Genre authors, this is the reason your non-blockbuster work is unwanted. Target and Costco can't sell enough of them. Tail wagging the dog.) Then we have the rise of e-tailing which has made shopping in the nude or just undergarments acceptable for all occasions. Booksellers have adapted to this change and sell on the web with good success. Now the e-readers have clouded the equation even more. Bookstores make buying decisions based on several factors. We watch what sells, what's being talked about and pay attention to what's being promoted, as well as an author's track record. But if the books are being purchased offsite or via a handheld device, then vital clues to what is moving is taken off the radar. Customers looking to buy bound books may not find what they want because of this.

--- Handselling a new or breakout author's work has never been more difficult. It's no secret that the economy stinks. Fewer customers are entering the doors of all types of retailers. With customer traffic curtailed and budgets tightened the retailer has seen the rise of what I refer to as 'The Purposeful Shopper.' In the context of bookselling the purposeful shopper arrives knowing what they want or need to purchase and how much they are willing or may afford to spend. If fewer shoppers enter the store and they know what they want, a business is happy to provide the requested titles. But if the money isn't there and the browsing reader becomes an endangered species, then who will be the potential buyer for a new author's work? New authors are the lifeblood of the business. If no new writers are embraced by the reading public the freedom of choice is placed in jeopardy. Writers need readers for their work and readers need something to read. It is an equation that has worked since the dawn of the printed page.

--- It is impossible to browse for new books online in an effective way. You may look for an author's work you have read before and you may search by topic, but the results are limited by your own knowledge or the vagaries of the search engine you are using. There is nothing like coming into a bookstore and handling the merchandise. See what's on the tables and shelves, read a page or two, read the copy on the dust jacket. You will see books that have not been reviewed or advertised alongside ones with which you are familiar as current popular choices or classics which have stood the test of time. There is a great, big world of reading outside your home, beyond cyberspace, built for the alchemy of discovery, the communion of reader and writer through which you may be instructed, enlightened or entertained. No website or app can provide the same experience. Without customer support the bookseller will pass into history, the new writers will give up their craft, and the culture will suffer an unbearable loss.


     As you surf the web for bargains and download Action Man #59 don't miss out on one of the best places ever designed to allow readers to enjoy what they love the most.
     Long Live Books.

     Full, rich storytelling.
     A mesmerizing mixture of the dream-like and the surreal.
     Love & magic go hand in hand and love finds a way of freeing the captured souls of two opponents who are enslaved to the wills of their instructors, a battle consisting of more than life and death, but the substance of reality itself.
    
     Make sure you catch this circus!

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/night-circus-erin-morgenstern/1100083576 (via shareaholic)


The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: Book Cover

  




There are several things to keep in mind as you read this post.

     #1: I love reading about history.               
     #2: I am 'haunted' by two encounters with Civil War history.
     #3: Most importantly, the Civil War never happened.

     Yes, of course I'll explain.




     When I was a young grade school student I enjoyed our class field trips. At various times our journeys included stops at the Capital building, the Smithsonian and other points of interest on or near the Potomac River.
     The sixth grade field trip took us to the historic Gettysburg Battlefield. I remember the lush, green fields and the many stone walls of the parks' location. From the souvenir shop I purchased facsimiles of old money from the wartime era, both Union and Confederate currency.
     I also made a personal discovery on the battlefield. We stopped at an observation tower overlooking a farm that belonged to former President Dwight Eisenhower. Several schools were visiting on this day, the buses arrayed in the parking lot below the tower. Up and up we trudged with our fellow students and chaperones, ascending to view the countryside all around us. I made my discovery when I made a mistake. Atop the tower my first impulse was to compare the distance to the ground, not to take in the overview.
     I never saw the farm.
     I looked down at the parking lot, observing the tiny toy-like buses and train garden-sized trees, instantly giving birth to my fear of heights. My heart started pounding, my legs going rubbery and I felt hot and panicked. I sat on the little bench, taking slow, deep breaths and determined to make my descent ASAP and not look down at all.
     I still wonder about that view.




     About 20 years ago a dear friend got married and moved to Camp Hill, PA to be close to his wife's family. They bought a house situated on a beautiful, tree-shaded street very near a busy town area. The setting was lovely and relatively quiet considering the proximity to all the activity of the modern world almost on it's doorstep. It was an old house which stood at a place that had witnessed history.
     A historical marker stood near the edge of the property stating that the house stood at the northernmost point of land the Confederate soldiers had reached during the Civil War.
     During my visit with my friends one summer talk was shared about the house being visited by ghosts on occasion although my host had not seen anything himself.
     On the night I slept in the house the only spooks I encountered were in the episodes of Dark Shadows we watched before reminiscing about the earlier days of our friendship in Maryland, and catching up on the events of the intervening years. Our own past and the nation's past shared this geography with ease. We examined our own roads taken together and apart, viewing markers of our own.




     The most memorable of my Civil War journeys was much closer to home. Every family has history attached to it, known or unknown.
     My paternal grandfather was born in 1896.
     In 1917 he'd been onboard a ship heading for Europe when WWI was declared over and he returned home...just in time for the Great Influenza outbreak.
     Granddad was a remarkable craftsman and woodcarver. He made himself a guitar. He also handcarved several chains, each fashioned from single pieces of wood. The links moved freely of each other and are impressive to behold. (Years later my father learned to do the same kind of work.)
     He and my grandmother lived in a series of small, two storey row homes on the outskirts of Baltimore itself. They occupied themselves with family and friends from their local church.
     Grandma was an unrivaled cook. Her biscuits and gravy, cornbread and southern fried chicken have not been replicated at any dining table I've occupied since her passing over 30 years ago.
     Granddad had a steroscope viewer with slides depicting people and places of the southern states during the years of 1861-1864.
     On one of our family visits Granddad asked me, "What are you learning about in school?"
     I was happy to share my new knowledge with him, delighted with his interest.
     "We're learning about the Civil War," I proudly announced.
     Absolute quiet descended upon us. The calm before a storm.
     I was surprised with the swift rebuke I received. The 'facts' I'd learned were instantly corrected by someone who knew better than my teacher.
     "IT WAS THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES. THERE WEREN'T NOTHIN' CIVIL ABOUT IT!"
     Spoken like a true Southerner, bless him. Point taken.
     I never made the 'civil' mistake in his presence again.




     2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War. I'm sure my grandfather is spinning in his grave so fast you'd mistake him for a turbine.
     There are many new titles available this year and a mountain of older volumes on the conflict. I include some fiction titles as well.
     Here are just a few:

---1861: The Civil War Awakening by Adam Goodheart

---Manhunt...by James Swanson

---Bloody Crimes...by James Swanson

---This Republic of Suffering by Drew G. Faust

---The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks

---Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

---Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

---A World on Fire...by Amanda Foreman


     Read all about it.