Interview with Mark Cain, Author of Hell's Super

Mark Cain is a writer and musician living in the Austin, Texas area. His third novel, HELL'S SUPER, a comic fantasy, has been published by Taylor Street Books. It is available as a Kindle eBook or paperback. HELL'S SUPER is volume one of a new series, CIRCLES IN HELL. Volume two, A COLD DAY IN HELL, will be published in the Spring of 2014.



Hi, Mark! I'm so glad you could join us here in the blog studio. Make yourself comfortable. Would you like some cider?  Freshly baked churros?  Help yourself.  And let me know when you're ready to begin. This is a combined interview and game show, where prizes may be awarded for great answers. The grand prize, should you win all of the questions, is a signed copy of my brand new sci-fi epic, “Grover Cleveland: Time Traveler.”

Churros, huh? Yeah, let me have some of those. Yummmm.

When did you start writing fiction? Was there anything in particular that sparked your interest?

I started writing my first book when I was 11, but it was really in my late 20s that I started writing seriously. Stephen Donaldson's LORD FOUL'S BANE, part of the CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT series, was really hot then, and it influenced my choice of genre and, at the time, my writing style. My first book, in fact, was a sword and sorcery epic fantasy called DEMON IN THE FLAMES. It's still in print.

For people who haven't checked it out yet, what's your novel about?  Twenty bonus points if you can fit in the word “turbulent” into the description.

Well, let's give the title out here at the forefront. HELL'S SUPER, the book is called HELL'S SUPER. And, well, it's about Hell. The title is a turbulent play on words. (Ten point penalty for gratuitous use of the word, "turbulent.") Steve, the protagonist, a former economics professor, is consigned to Hell after death, which I suppose is better than being consigned to it before death. His eternal damnation is to be HELL'S SUPERintendent for Plant Maintenance, essentially Mr. Fixit to the Underworld. (I hope all of your readers got this incredibly clever play on words. No? Sigh. Well, it seemed funny when I thought it up.)

Steve's challenge in this book is to fix Hell's Escalator, which carries damned souls from Gates Level (Pearly and Infernal) to the bowels of the Inferno. To do the job, Steve must fly through the turbulent atmosphere of the Nine Circles of Hell in the company of a giant vampire bat, the infamous Bat out of Hell, aka BOOH. Along the way, he spends time with famous historical figures, including Orson Welles, his assistant, and Florence Nightingale, his would-be girlfriend. Oh, and of course, there's more than the occasional devil and demon to make his turbulent afterlife even more turbulent. (turbulenter?)

The whole thing is really very silly, but it has some heart to it.

Which character of yours is the most fun for you to write?

Hmm. Tough one. I really enjoyed writing Flo (Nightingale), but I also liked Satan, Beelzebub, Putty Face (a spoiler, sorry, I can't tell you), and Uphir, who is a creepy little demon running Hell's Hospital.

What's your favorite (or favourite, if you prefer) book of all time?  And if that’s too difficult, then what’s the last book that really stuck a chord with you?  Double points if you have an answer to both.

Another toughie. I have lots of favorite books, though like many fantasy writers (HELL'S SUPER is sort of a comic fantasy, though many consider it a satire), The LORD OF THE RINGS is probably my favorite.

The book that moved me the most? Kurt Vonnegut's SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE. I read it almost every year.

Do you have a preferred genre to write?  If so, what appeals to you most about it?

Epic fantasy. I get to use my very best prose in epic fantasy. HELL'S SUPER was a blast to write, and it probably has more appeal than anything else I've written, but I told it in first person from the prospective of the main character, so my prose is dumbed down.

I sometimes try to sneak in little inside jokes or references into my books which only a few people will actually catch (like the colors or mascot from my high school, or using birthdays in secret codes). Do you do this too, and is there an in-joke or a secret you'd be willing to share with us about your books?

Yes, I do this too, though usually the references are really obscure.

In HELL'S SUPER, there is a character named Tully who was the quarterback at Steve's high school. The quarterback at my high school was also named Tully. I didn't really know him, and he, as far as I know, is nothing like my fictional Tully, but I like the name Tully, almost as much as I like the word "turbulent."

If you could escape to any fictional setting, which one would you choose, and how long would you want to stay there?

I guess it's not fictional. Tahiti/Bora Bora circa Gauguin's time. It might be fictional though. In my mind, I have an image of complete calm for the soul, of cerulean waters, and of impossibly beautiful people who just enjoy this great gift that is life. And, if that's what it is/was really like, I'd want to stay forever.

What’s the dumbest question you’ve ever been asked?  It doesn’t have to be about writing.

Standing at a service counter, ready to help the next person, and that person comes up to me and says, "Are you open?"

Is there any advice you would give to writers who are just starting out?

Write out of love.

Can you tell us a little about your next writing project?

Well, there's the sequel, A COLD DAY IN HELL, about a breakdown of Hell's HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system. There are at least four books envisioned for the CIRCLES IN HELL SERIES, of which HELL'S SUPER is the first volume.

I also have a five volume epic fantasy completed plotted out. It spans over 500 years and deals with magic and immortality. Hey, what's not to like?

And the final question. This one's for one hundred points, and a chance to play for the grand prize. Remember that honesty is the best policy or whatever. On a scale of one to ten, where one is pretty awesome and ten is fully awesome, how awesome is Michael Matula?

Oh, gosh, and I know I'm going to lose the 100 points for this answer, but...11?

And now, please tell the folks at home about when and where they can find your books, and where you'd like them to look on the internet for your stuff.

The book is out there now. It came out in the fall of last year. The Kindle price is only 99 cents, American. My publisher and I did that deliberately, because it's the first in a series, and right now we want to build a readership. Profits are less important. The paperback is about $13. You can get it at some Barnes & Nobles, or you can order it through most major book distributor channels.

On Amazon.com, go to
http://www.amzn.com/B00FNFZ8LS

And on Amazon.co.uk:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FNFZ8LS


Thanks so much for joining us, Mark.  And congratulations on winning the interview!

My Interview with Angelika Rust, Fantasy Author

Angelika Rust is the author of Ratpaths, a fantasy novel in a mafia setting.

She's currently writing the sequel, the odd short story and a stand-alone novel about the comical effects of depression.

Born in Vienna in 1977, she now lives in Germany, with her husband, two children, a grumpy old cat and a hyperactive dog.

Hi, Angelika! I'm so glad you could join us here in the blog studio. Make yourself comfortable. Would you like some hot chocolate?  Freshly made s'mores?  Help yourself.  And let me know when you're ready. This is a combined interview and game show, where prizes may be awarded for great answers. The grand prize, should you win all of the questions, is a signed copy of my brand new epic literary novel, “Whoops, Maybe I Shouldn't Have Shot That Guy.”

When did you start writing fiction? Was there anything in particular that sparked your interest?

From the moment I discovered fantasy for me, I all but stopped reading anything else. For years, I read all that was available in the fantasy genre, right up to the moment I got heartily sick of almighty wizards and divine intervention. You know, deus-ex-machina solutions. I wanted to read a book with no magic at all, one in which the characters would need to rely on their own wits, luck, friends, whatever, to help them out of whatever they've gotten themselves into. That's when I started writing the story which had occupied parts of my brain for quite some time already. It probably sounds hopelessly arrogant, but I wrote the book I wanted to read.

It doesn't sound arrogant to me.  A lot of people say "Write what you know," but I've always thought "Write what you love" works better.  

For people who haven't checked it out yet, what's your novel about?

My book, Ratpaths, is about a young thief who gets caught between the machinations of the rightful regent of the city and the resident crime lord. It's a story of friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and of how a person's past will shape his character, and thus his future.

Which character of yours is the most fun for you to write? 

Nivvo, my main character, fortunately. People tell me that it's hard to tell whether he's simply very brave, or actually a bit mad. He probably teeters on the edge. After all, it's running in the family. I call him 'one spark short of a bonfire'. He's one of the bad guys, obviously, since he's a thief, but he's good people, too, and willing to sacrifice a lot if he considers it necessary. I especially enjoy it when he's sparring with his best friend, Fedoro.

What's your favorite (or favourite, if you prefer) fantasy book or movie of all time?  

My favorite fantasy book would be The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch. I've read it thrice already. It's one of those rare books you can read again and again without them ever getting boring. Great sense of humor.

My favorite fantasy movie would be Pirates of the Caribbean. Only the first part, mind. The others can't compete.

Cliched question time: Being a mom, is it difficult to find time to write? How do you manage to balance everything?

On the one hand, yes, it is. Especially if you're a working mom. On the other hand, I'm in the lucky position to work only two days a week, so I have three mornings to myself, with relative peace and quiet, until the kids come home at noon. And there's always the evenings. Spare time suffers, of course. I hardly ever just lean back and relax with a book anymore. Any spare time I have, I use for either writing, editing other people's books, or desperately trying to promote my novel (and I really suck at the latter).

If you could be any fantasy character, like a thief, a warrior, or a magician (or even a wood elf), what would you like to be?

That question made me smile. A thief, of course. I am. Not in real life, mind. I do Live Action Role Playing. I used to play healers, but a thief is just more fun.

Is there any advice you would you give to writers who are just starting out?

Don't let anyone stop you. Even if you never sell a single book, the experience alone is worth the effort. You'll meet a whole lot of wonderful people. Amazingly nice things will happen to you. And you'll be forever proud of yourself for the achievement.

Can you tell us a little about your current writing project(s)? 

I'm currently writing the sequel. The bones are there, but I'm not yet pleased with it, so I've put it aside for a few weeks to get a little distance and get back to it with a fresh mind. In the meantime, I'm writing a novella about the more or less amusing side effects of depression.

And the final question. This one's for one hundred points, and a chance to play for the grand prize. Remember that honesty is the best policy or whatever. On a scale of one to ten, where one is pretty awesome and ten is fully awesome, how awesome is Michael Matula?

Abso-friggin'-positively-lutely awesome. Oh, wait, I was supposed to rate you on a scale of one to ten. Then let's make it a nine. You never wear sunglasses on any of your pics, or I'd give you a ten.

And now, please tell the folks at home about when and where they can find your books, and where you'd like them to look on the internet for your stuff.

My novel is on Amazon, both as an e-book and as a paperback edition. If anyone wants to find out more, you can find me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, The Indie View, and my very own blog. I have a book trailer on YouTube, too. Here are the links:

www.amazon.com/Ratpaths-Tales-Istonnia-Angelika-Rust-ebook/dp/B00DVIP17A
http://talesofistonnia.blogspot.de
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angelika-Rust/642236502455275
https://twitter.com/AngelikaRust
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7205139.Angelika_Rust
http://www.theindieview.com/indie-authors/angelika-rust/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVZfo-fsxhc

Thanks so much for playing, Angelika.  It was an absolute pleasure to have you in the studio.  And congratulations on winning the interview!