13 Questions With...Raymund Hensley

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?
I'll cook Spam and rice! And oh my, there are many different types of delicious Spam flavors: Spam Less Sodium, Hickory Smoked, Turkey, Bacon, Spam with Cheese, and my favorite, Hot & Spicy.

2. What is your beverage of choice?
Water. Yup. 8 glasses a day. I stopped drinking soda last year. Actually, I gave in and took a sip recently, and the acidity burned like a Happy New Year sparkler down my throat. Water. It's important. The brain is 85% water.

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?
I prefer physical books. I like the way books smell. Each book has its own aroma. I'm a smelling type of guy. Smelling this, smelling that. I remember things better this way. I remember whole scenes this way. One sniff and I'm back in the book. They have a fragrance, like people.

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?
On Writing, Forrest Gump, Gump and Co. (Forrest Gump 2), Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, ESP Right Now, What The Bleep Do We know?, The Early History of Surgery, Get a Grip on Philosophy, David Lynch's Catching the Big Fish, The Hellbound Heart, The Master Key System, Curse of Lono, and my favorite book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Hunter S. Thompson, we miss you. RIP.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?
Way back when I was a wee lad, I read The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, and my mind, my imagination, went crazy. I was addicted to his books. The skill of putting such fantastical sights into a reader's mind – to take them away to another world – I wanted to learn that, to do that. I wanted to GO.

6. What is your writing routine?
I write after I open my eyes in the morning. I usually wake up, roll over, and write down whatever weird dream I just had. It helps me to get into the writing mode. On my days off I write the whole day. Literally the whole day. I'm a bit of a shut-in. I don't go out to “Hit the clubs” or "Drink the blood" or whatever these kids do now days.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?
I just freehand it. Just come up with a little story on the fly. Do the whole Stephen King thing. You know? Let the story tell itself. Trust the story. Trust your creativity. Don't be so judgmental. Shut up the left side of your brain. Works every time.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?
Karaoke singing. Anything from Poison to Boyz II Men to Huey Lewis to Peter Cetera to Bone Thugs in Harmony to Bon Jovi. I love singing. Oh, and you know how some people can roll a quarter across their knuckles? I can do that too, lol.
9. What was your best subject in school?
The ladies. That, or Art Class, aka Time-to-go-to-sleep Class. I was also quite good in Let's-just-cook-and-eat Class.

10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?
Honestly? The whole Twilight thing hangs over my head like a devil bird. I'm very tempted to try some teen romance. So maybe the answer is, a little. They influence me a little. We all have our own voice, but we also want to be popular – be a part of the popular crowd. This is high school all over again. Good-grief. I'll see you in Time-to-go-to-sleep Class.

11. Mac or PC?
I'm a PC. And I'm PC.

12. Where do your ideas come from?
Ready? It's gonna get weird.... All ideas come from the supreme mind, the omniscient mind, the super consciousness, the Universal Mind. The Universe herself. And the best way to have this power inspire you – fill you with ideas – is by relaxing, meditating. Yeah, it's hippie talk, but I can dig it. You can always find me in the New Age section of the bookstore.

13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?
Network. The internet is your friend.

Review: Filipino Vampire

Filipino Vampire
by
Raymund Hensley
Available through Amazon for the Kindle
and from Smashwords

If a Filipino Vampire terrorizing a young girl with lots of action, snappy dialogue and fast pacing are your cup of tea, then this book is for you.

When we first meet Sasha, she's 12 years old and not a happy camper.  Her mother is of the strict variety, strict enough when she metes out punishment, she ties Sasha to the television antenna on top of their house, to spend the night and contemplate her sins.
During one of these punishments, an Aswang, (pronounced Us-wong)  or Filipino Vampire for those not familiar with the term, shows up and snatches Sasha.  It's up to Sasha to free herself and find her way back home.

An Aswang is pretty disturbing as vampires go - they appear perfectly normal during the daylight hours, but come nightfall, they detach their legs from their bodies and fly around, intestines breezing in the wind.  Yuck.  They'll attack just about anyone, but their preference is for children.

I don't want to tell much more about the story, because it will involve major spoilers.  I will say we have a fine voice in Raymund Hensley's story telling.  He sites Clive Barker as an influence and I could definitely detect that flavor in this story.  

Aimed at the 14-21 year old crowd, it's good.
Sasha's voice is that of a street savvy 12 year old, one who isn't scared to get her hands dirty if the job calls for it.  I liked her and admired her take no crap attitude.  She is smart - something horror novels often overlook in the make up of their characters.
Her mother is, well...awful and is painted as a true harpy.
The action and dialogue marry together well, even when we are definitely not in Kansas anymore Dorothy.
Make no mistake, there are some over the top gore scenes, but that was part of the fun of reading this story - As our narrator, Sasha makes no apology for giving it to you straight.

The book is short, technically considered a novella, weighing in at 44 pages (this count includes listings of Hensley's previous works), but don't let only 41 pages fool you - this is a solid read.
I want to see Mr Hensley go balls out (yes, I said "balls out") and give us a longer ride on the roller coaster the next time.  I don't think it will matter if he aims for the YA market or adult - he's got the chops to succeed at both.

For more information on Raymund Hensley please see:
Raymund Hensley on Blogspot
Raymund Hensley on Facebook
Raymund Hensley on Twitter

13 Questions With...CA Milson, 2nd Edition

When I started The Written Universe, I began the 13 Questions feature, to give my readers some insight into the authors I review.
This is the second time I have had the pleasure of reviewing CA Milson, and I wrote a second batch of
13 questions for him to answer.

1. You’re hosting a dinner party. What is the menu, and do you cook it yourself, or do you call a caterer?
Dinner party?
That does depend on the number of guests that are invited. When I was in New Zealand I put on a few Murder Mystery Dinner Parties, which were alot of fun, but takes alot of prep and organizing, such as finding a good location, the menu to suit everyone and so on. But, if I was having a dinner party for a select few people I would typically do a 3 course meal. Entree I normally do something light. Main course is where I really shine I like to cook when I entertain, so I pull out all the stops. Jacket potatoes, roast onion, roast pork or lamb marinated and seasoned with all kinds of herbs, spices, condiments and of course wine Desert is my own brand of pumpkin pie.

2. What is your beverage of choice?
If it's first thing in the morning, coffee - strong. Any other time. 100% juice or Pepsi

3. Physical book Vs an E-Reader. Your preference and why?
Seeing how fast technology is advancing, E-Readers. Ebook sales are on the rise and quite sadly the days of paperback are declining. In 5 or 10 years we will be lucky to see any major bookstores as E-Readers are becoming quite the everyday thing now. Technology may be a marvel at times, but still nothing still beats seeing your own book in the stores. That is something E-Readers can never replace...

4. What kinds of books make up your personal library?
We have quite the range of books in our kit. Travel, ancient history, some fiction novels, foreign language, law.

5. How and when did you catch the writing bug?
That one started in 1989. When I lived in a small town in Winchelsea. Winch (as it is known) is a small town, and there was alot of inspiration for me, as at the time I lived in a cottage house on a piggery, outside of town. There was nothing for miles around, so you can bet that my imagination ran wild. At the time I had an old iron Remington Rand typewriter, and I would be on that thing for hours at a time, much to the annoyance of everyone else who lived there.

6. What is your writing routine?
I write when I am inspired and have a clear mind. Lately though that has not been the case, as my thoughts have been pre-occupied with my TV show and my short films. So it has been hard to get into the swing of things and continue on with book 3 - Prophecys End. Yet, when i do write, and am in the right frame of mind, I sit at the laptop, stare aimlessly at what I have and wait for that inspiration to hit. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't.

7. If you ever encounter writer’s block, what steps do you take to get past it?
Grab a sledgehammer and break down that wall LOL... No, normally I review what I have already written and see where I can take the storyline from there. That's what I did with Bloodline Of Darkness. There was a few spots there where i was wondering where I was going to take the storyline, especially in the section where Alex is sat on the balcony with his son. When I hit that point I had no idea where to take it, as that scene was not where I wanted it to go... So began the daymare sequences... and a whole new reality for Alex opened.

8. Do you have a hidden talent?
I try my hand at alot of things. Right now I am seeing if I have what it takes to direct a TV show. It is far easier to write a book than it is to create/write/ and direct a TV series. Let alone when Rise Of The Darkness gets turned into a feature film.

9. What was your best subject in school?
English and ancient history.

10. As in any entertainment, there are current trends. How much do these “current trends” influence what you write?
Current trends are okay, but if I followed the pack then I would have created a TV show "Office Downunder". No, I don't like to follow any pack, although there are some influences that I do like

11. Mac or PC?
PC

12. Where do your ideas come from?
My ideas come any source. Last weekend I was in Hervey Bay, which is in Qld Australia. Nice and relaxing place, then my sister told me about this real haunted house in The Bay that just got my create juices flowing. So next time I am up there I am going to check some haunted locations out and see if I can find some ideas for the next book.

13 What advice would you pass on to an aspiring author?
I would say this: If you want to write, do it. But do it for the right reasons. Dont think that because you write a novel it is going to be the biggest thing since JKRowling. Only less than 1% of new writers actually make become an overnight sensation. If that is your motivation, then don't write. Yes, there will be fans of your book, but it takes work, much like a full time job. If you are going to research publishers, check out POD publishers. There are some good publishers out there, but you just have to find them and be aware of the fine print. Writing a book has to be a passion. If you have that passion, then follow it through to the end. it is worth it.