Blog Archives
Hello! 😀
Welcome to my little corner here!
When I’m not calling myself Amos, as part of Amos Cassidy – the writing duo featuring yours truly and the fabulous Cassidy; aka Debbie Cassidy, I also go by the name Richard-James Amos. Cassidy and myself share a brain, but we also have some stories and things that linger in our heads that need to be told alone, not as the loopy twosome.
I’m a daydreamer, someone who likes to hop onto his dragon and take to the skies, off to see what I can find above and below and to the side. My head is always up there with the stars. One of them is a good friend of mine. His name is Bill and he’s a diamond! Oh, and he makes a mean cup of tea…knows how to get the balance of milk and tea just right…
I currently have a novel in progress, one that keeps me up at night – as do the coming Amos Cassidy projects! It looks like it might be a two-book story, but who knows where it will lead… Loving it! Oh, did I mention we’re currently working on Crimson Chaos, the 4th book in the Crimson Series? 😉 Also loving it!Â
I will keep you posted on my solo novel’s progress as the months roll by 😀 And keep an eye out for some short fiction and things from me on here too 🙂
Cheers very much!
Love,
RichardÂ
Meet Kayti Nika Raet!
Hello!
As part of our Dystopia month, we have the wonderful Kayti Nika Raet down for a visit. Kayti is the author of The Outsider Chronicles (five book series. Three out so far) a YA dystopia featuring a badass girl with a baseball bat. Set in a world where the rain burns like acid and flesh-eating monsters roam…
Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Kayti Nika Raet moved down South when she was 11, where she was bitten by the writing bug, as well as other, less friendly insects.Â
She is the author of the Outsider Chronicles, a five book series starting with NIKO and set in a world where the rain burns like acid and flesh eating monsters roam.
She’s also a reviewer for Readers’ Favorite and has her own Youtube Channel: Kayti Edition.
When she is not hard at work on her fourth book she has fun reading, listening to K-pop, and photography.
Kayti lives in Milledgeville, Georgia.
Now for some questions…
So, when did you know that you wanted to be a writer? Was there a single moment of clarity or did the knowledge just creep up on you?
I was always writing, and telling stories, but it wasn’t until I was fourteen that becoming a writer became an active goal of mine. And it wasn’t until I was twenty-two that I finally succeeded!
Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you write everyday? At the weekends? Or, like us, whenever you get the chance?
I try to write a thousand words a day and take a couple of days off every two weeks, but lately, that hasn’t been happening and now I write whenever I have the chance. Â
What is it about the Dystopian genre that inspires you?
I think it’s the fact that Dystopia at its heart, is a failed Utopia. It’s a world where an attempt at stability and structure in the face of epic disaster moved to the extreme of repression, “other-ing”, and control. And while most dystopias focus on the future, it’s actually quite easy to find dystopian elements in history: Rome, the Antebellum American South, World War II Germany, Post War Eastern Europe, etc. They provide good templates to write by, and I’ve always found the distortion of theories and ideals fascinating.
If you could step into any Dystopian future what would it be and why?
All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin. Even though water is strictly rationed, the mafia runs everything, and things like chocolate and coffee are illegal, there are no zombies, or death matches, so my chances of survival are quite high!
Zombies are busting down your door, what four objects do you grab? Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
These are slow zombies, right? If not, I’m totally dead…
Duct tape, sturdy pair of boots, hatchet, water bottle.
I’d probably get bit anyway because I have no endurance whatsoever, but hopefully I can take out a few before that happens!
How do your storylines evolve? Do you already have it planned where you want to go, or do you let the story take you along with it?
I usually know what’s going to happen in the first few chapters, and I’ll have a vague idea about the climax, but most of the time I let the story and characters take the lead.
If you could choose any Dystopian book in the world to have written which one would it be and why?
Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. It’s more post-apocalyptic than full blown dystopian, but the trilogy was very engaging.The writing style is very sparse, and the pacing is much slower than I would normally write, but I love how she set up a society forced to live around zombies. Not to mention the creative ways they make use of them in the cities.
If you could be any character from a book who would it be and why?
I answered this question in a previous interview and the answer remains the same. Anya from All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin. She’s the daughter of a black market chocolate dealer, things in her world have seriously gone to pot but despite everything she’s really cool, and smart, and resilient.
What advice would you give to other writers of Dystopian fiction out there who are thinking of self-publishing their work?
Edit, edit, edit.
Oh, and find a community of writers, be engaging, not spammy on social media, and realize that writing your book is the easy part.
Who is, or are, your favourite author(s)?
Dia Reeves, Justine Larbalestier, Brandon Sanderson, Sarah Rees Brennan, Scott Westerfeld… I can go on…
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Okay, some quick fire questions! Don’t think too hard. Just answer…
Super Villain or Super Hero?
Super Villain. Way more fun!
Ice-cream or chocolate?
Chocolate.
Beach or the skiing holiday?
Beach. I like the water.
Keep the One Ring or throw it in Mount Doom?
That’s a Lord of the Rings reference. Haven’t read, or watched it, so I can’t say.
Audio or book?
Book. My brain goes on tangents with audio and I miss a lot.
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Zombie Apocalypse weapon of choice: Axe or Shotgun?
Axe. It’s simple, multi-purpose, effective. Also I don’t have to spend time hunting for shotgun shells… not to mention making sure I’ve got the right kind.
You can find Kayti…
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Introducing Brea Behn!
Hiya, peeps!Â
Today we are joined by author Brea Behn. Brea loves all things dystopian and will be telling us a little about herself, answering a few fun questions and introducing us to her fantastic Dystopian read ‘Wolves in the Woods’
So let’s get started with a little bit about Brea:
Brea Behn is very passionate about reading and writing in all genres. She started writing at the age of fifteen, when she wrote a memoir for her twin brother. Currently, she writes fiction of several genres, nonfiction, and is building her career as an author and public speaker.
When Brea is not writing, she is reading, usually several books at the same time. She also volunteers at her local humane society, gardens, and homeschools her children.
Brea lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their two children.
And to put a face to the name:
Now, Brea, we have a few fun questions for you to answer. So sit tight, pour yourself a drink and lets chinwag gabby:
So, when did you know that you wanted to be a writer? Was there a single moment of clarity or did the knowledge just creep up on you?
I have written since I was little. I never took it seriously until a tragedy happened in my life. Then writing became very important to me. A place of processing and healing. That evolved into pure love of writing which led to me pursuing publication.
Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you write everyday? At the weekends? Or, like us, whenever you get the chance?
I am like you! I write whenever I can fit it in. Usually very early or very late when everyone else in the house is sleeping.
What is it about the Dystopian genre that inspires you?
I am drawn to the dystopian genre because it almost always involves going through something incredibly difficult and coming out better for it or learning something from it in the end.
If you could step into any Dystopian future what would it be and why?
That is a hard question for the very definition of dystopian is that it will be hard! I guess if I had to choose I would say a future like one in the movie the Postman. Where decades had gone by and a time of change was happening. Both because there is hope on the horizon and because the challenges they face are normal ones (not zombies, a scorched planet or aliens!).
 Zombies are busting down your door, what four objects do you grab?Â
A gun, a knife, a torch and a pre-packed supply pack. Taking no chances!
How do your storylines evolve? Do you already have it planned where you want to go, or do you let the story take you along with it?
I am a ride it and see where it takes me author. It is so fun and sometimes shocks me greatly!
If you could choose any Dystopian book in the world to have written which one would it be and why?
The Stand by Stephen King. He is my favourite author, but also because it is a work that would take some authors a lifetime to complete. What an accomplishment! Having his pay check and fame wouldn’t hurt my feelings either.
If you could be any character from a book who would it be and why?
I would love to be Katniss from Hunger Games. I admire her strength, her defiance and her bravery. She is a perfect example of why I love dystopian. A character that refused to accept her life and her world as it was and through her actions and influence was able to change it for the better.
What advice would you give to other writers of Dystopian fiction out there who are thinking of self-publishing their work?
I hope to read it some day! I would also give the practical advice of being sure their work is professionally edited. That is a very important thing in today’s world of publishing. No matter which route you choose to publish in.
 Who is, or are, your favourite author(s)?
Stephen King. The original dystopian master. I have read his work since I was in junior high. I greatly admire his tell it like it is form of writing. I strive to do so myself.
Okay, some quick fire questions! Don’t think too hard. Just answer…
Super Villain or Super Hero?
Super villain. I am always drawn to the bad guy you both love and hate.
Ice-cream or chocolate?
Ice-cream. Don’t throw anything at me, but I don’t like chocolate. My twin brother liked chocolate, so I like vanilla. Twins are like that and it never really goes away.
Beach or the skiing holiday?
Beach! I live in Wisconsin. I can ski, snow mobile, sled or ice skate here. A beach is a real treat!
Keep the One Ring or throw it in Mount Doom?
Throw it into Mount Doom. Evil can never be controlled it can only control you. That is why it is evil.
Audio or book?
Can I say either? Although non-fiction I prefer in book form so I can take notes.
Zombie Apocalypse weapon of choice: Axe or Shotgun?
Shotgun. Less goo on yourself. I am a bit of a germ phobe, lol.
Wow! Thanks so much for taking the time to come visit, Brea. We hope you’ll come again, but in the meantime, peeps, take a butchers at Wolves in the Woods :
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Grab your copy now!
You can also find Brea on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and youtube.
www.facebook.com/authorbreabehn
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NEW NOVEL!
HI!
We’re back in the self-publishing realm after some months of pondering and things! We’ve got some projects we’ll be publishing traditionally, but we also want to keep our feet in the waters of indie publishing 😀
So our new novel is now available for pre-order on Amazon Kindle. It’s called Aurora – a Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian Romance – releasing on 27th February 2015. Woo Hoo! Links below! 🙂
Three hundred years ago humanity almost eradicated itself…almost, but not quite. As is the persistence of human kind, we hung on; we survived, but the world as we knew it was changed forever. The exact details of what happened have been lost in time. All we know is that this is our world now and we have no choice but to live in it.
Oz and his sister True have been travelling for as long as they can remember. Ma feels that staying on the move is safe, that it prevents them getting lazy and complacent. It’s a better way to avoid bandits and raiders, a more effective way to stay alive. But the thing, the person that protects them is Oz – a lethal fighter who will go to any lengths to defend his family.
Oz makes money from cage fights while dreaming of a better life for them all – a home where they can be truly safe. True dreams of freedom, love and hope and just when she thinks she’s found it their world is turned upside down and they are forced to embark on a journey that rips them apart. For when True is taken by an unknown enemy Oz must enlist the help of a man from the shadows to save her.
A Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian Romance, filled with action, adventure and fantasy.
AMAZON UK
AMAZON US
The Future of the Crimson Series
Hello 🙂
After much soul-searching, we have decided that, as it stands, the proposed plot for Crimson Frost (#4) does not justify a novel right now. It just will not work. We’re sorry, please forgive us 😦 We love you all! It would just mean that we’d have to introduce a brand new arc, more novels in the series, which we cannot do right now. As a standalone, it would just fail as it would all be crammed in one, with no room to breathe.
There are lots of other stories queued up in our heads, waiting to be told, and with stuff happening in our personal lives – Amos with his uni degree and Cassidy with babies and her busy life – more Crimson just isn’t going to happen right now with other novels waiting not so patiently to be written, the characters yelling at us! We don’t want to just bang something out. It has to be EPIC! For now, we have come to a climax of sorts when it comes to Crimson. Yet the door is left wide open and it doesn’t mean we won’t continue the series in the future.
Thank you so much for reading the series! 🙂 We really appreciate it 🙂 And thank you for putting up with our procrastination.
Love and hugs,
Amos Cassidy
The Birth of Crimson…
THE BIRTH OF CRIMSON…
When we first published Crimson Midnight, Cassidy wrote a piece about how it was born. It is still so strange, looking back on how it began before it became the book it is today. So, sit back, relax, and have a read of how the Crimson World was born 🙂
Cassidy:
There is a story behind every book’s creation. It begins as a stray thought, a germ of an idea or a vivid dream. It catches hold of the mind and consumes your thoughts until ignoring it is impossible and writing it down the only way to exorcise it from your mind. Okay, maybe that sounds a bit pretentious, but you get the gist, right? Crimson Midnight sprang from a vivid dream that I, Cassidy, had. I couldn’t shake the dream, my subconscious mind was building a story. In the end I sat down and began my research. Originally I even had a name for the book; Covenant. Things were going great until I came up against a stumbling block. My plot had a huge hole in it and try as I might I couldn’t figure a way to fill it. I decided to put the idea aside and come back to it at a later date.
It was a year later that I dug out my notes for Covenant. Amos and I had decided to write together and I was eager to share the seed of my idea in the hope that two minds would be better than one. Amos did not disappoint.
A very excited brainstorming session later, Covenant had morphed into Crimson Midnight. New characters emerged, a more streamlined plot presented itself and, as if by magic, we had the plot lines for a series.
Seems pretty simple, right? Well it proved to be harder than that. We wrote the first draft of the book as a YA novel but upon finishing it decided we weren’t happy with the YA spin, so what did we do? We decided to rewrite it!
The plan was to allocate and rewrite the chapters, what more could there be to it? The answer is, a lot! We found that the story did not want to stick to a plan, the story had its own ideas on how it should be told and as we began to write, the characters took over. We wrote in a daze, our fingers guided by a phantom force across the keyboard. It was frightening and exhilarating and it meant a lot more meetings to discuss the changes that were occurring to our carefully planned novel.
The conclusion? Just go with it.
A novel doesn’t write itself but in this case it felt that it did. Maybe the problems we had faced were due to the genre we had originally picked, maybe we were over-planning. Whatever the reason, going with the gut and letting the story take over worked. And a year later we had the finished product.
The last three years have been a steep learning curve for us and we are still learning, but as long as the Ether is open to us we will continue to create.
CRIMSON SERIES BOX SET!
The Crimson Series is now available in a box set for a limited time only! Get all 3 books so far for the fabulous price of $1.30 (U.S) or £0.77 (U.K)! 😀
BOOK COVER POLL
Hi! 🙂
Here are the covers for all of our works to date. Which one is your favourite? Cast your vote in the poll below! 🙂
CRIMSON MIDNIGHTÂ
CRIMSON DARKNESS
CRIMSON DAWN
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THE RAIN: REBIRTH
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DREAMS ANDÂ SHARDS
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGES:
AMAZON US: http://www.amazon.com/Amos-Cassidy/e/B007ASXLII/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1393931090&sr=1-1
AMAZON UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Amos-Cassidy/e/B007ASXLII/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1393931036&sr=1-2
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