In the Author Spotlight & Contest

GERALD COSTLOW

CONTEST: Gerald will pick two names (from those who leave comments), to receive a signed copy of The Weaving. Make sure to leave your email addy so Gerald can contact you for you mailing address. Best wishes!

AL: Hi Gerald Thanks for being in the “Author Spotlight” this week.

Gerald: Thanks for having me on. I’ve really enjoyed reading your author interviews and it’s an honor to be included.

AL: So, tell us what’s happening with you.

Gerald: Oh, this year my wife and I are staying at home and mainly enjoying this fine Michigan summer. While sitting on a porch swing and watching the birds feed would bore lots of folks to tears, but it’s our idea of a good time.

AL: What do you currently have for us to read?

Gerald: I have an enchanting fantasy novel titled The Weaving, a romantic fable about a good witch who specializes in helping people with their quests but decides she wants a True Love of her own, destiny be darned. It can be described as a battle between good and evil woven around a love story.

AL: What other works are you deep into?

Gerald: This first novel was followed just this month by Pill Hill Press publishing my second novel, a prequel to The Weaving titled, A Plethory of Powers. It’s two shorter, novella length stories under one cover. Both are adventures that take place in the world of The Weaving and involve some of the same characters. The first adventure is a straight-out detective story called The Case of the Missing Succubus, and the second one is an old-fashioned slapstick comedy called A Conference of Powers.

AL: When did the writing bug take a bite out of you? The fantasy bug to be specific…

Gerald: I’ve always been a precocious and voracious reader, and as a young boy became enchanted with science fiction and fantasy adventures. I was also something of a loner, and would create my own make-believe worlds to pass the time. An early dream of mine was to see my own stories in the magazines that I loved to read. Of course, I ended up with a pile of rejections and it took me many years to learn how to turn a good story into a well written story.

AL: What is the most difficult part of being a writer and do you write whenever the mood strikes, or do you have a specific routine?

Gerald: The most difficult part for me, and probably for almost all writers, is handling the inevitable rejections. As for my routine, I’m an early riser so I do a lot of my writing in the early morning hours while even the dogs refuse to get up, and then I think about the scenes and dialog during the day, and do editing for an hour or so in the evening.

AL: Has an editor ever disagreed with something you’ve written and wanted a total re-write?

Gerald: Heh. Jessy of Pill Hill Press was my editor on The Weaving, and after telling me how much she loved the story, rolled up her sleeves and started marking entire scenes that she thought were confusing or unclear or needed work. And you know what? She was right. After I rewrote those paragraphs and pages, I had to admit I liked the new scenes much more than the old ones. A good editor vastly improves your finished story. A bad one, on the other hand...

AL: Now, let’s settle back and get personal – Besides writing, what other things do you like to do in your spare time?

Gerald: Nap. Read. Take my wife to the store or the dogs for a walk. Search online auctions for rock and mineral specimens to add to my collection. Play with my rock and mineral collection. Adults would probably find my life boring, but the grandkids seem to get a kick out of me.

AL: Have you always lived in Michigan? Tell me what’s one great thing about your state? Me? I like northern Michigan with all its trees and lakes. In my younger years whenever I thought of Michigan I immediately thought of Detroit (kind of like most people do with New York).

Gerald: I moved to Michigan from Ohio some years ago to take a job, and discovered it’s mostly farming country, so I felt right at home. One great thing? With the exception of Detroit, you don’t get those huge traffic snarls like you do at just about every big city out there.

AL: What favorite movie; or T.V. show makes you hunker down on the sofa and settle in for the night?

Gerald: I love animated movies and wild special effects, as long as the movie makes a passing stab at a good plot. I can and have watched some of my favorite animated movies a dozen times.

AL: Can you describe yourself in 3 sentences or less?

Gerald: I’m just a middle-aged man living a middle-class life in mid America.

AL: Silly question… If you had to go live on an island for six months, which three things would you HAVE to take with you?

Gerald: A laptop with a satellite internet connection, a generator with a six month supply of fuel, and enough diet coke to last.

AL: Please share a favorite quote(s) with us.

Gerald: “If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster.” (Isaac Asimov)

AL: Thanks so much for sharing with us this week, Gerald. If you’d like to find out more about Gerald please visit:

http://www.pillhillpress.com/
http://theweaving.blogspot.com/

FEATURED TITLE: THE WEAVING

Blurb:

Rose, the Witch of the Woods, twists destiny when she embarks on a campaign to find true love. During her quest for happily-ever-after with her familiar-turned-husband, Tom, Rose accidentally releases Lilith, a powerful demon, from her ancient prison.

Rose and her allies battle Lilith in an epic struggle of destinies woven together by fate. With help from the Three Ladies, telepathically linked oracles, Rose struggles to vanquish Lilith from the realm and restore peace to the kingdom.

Throughout her journey, Rose discovers the true meaning of magic, devotion, and most importantly, love.

Excerpt:

She searched for the right words to say. "Is it really so important that you remember? Aren't you happy the way we are now?"

He took her hands in his. "Very happy. I wake every morning in amazement at my luck in finding you. But I lie awake at night sometimes, wondering who I am—who I was, before you rescued me and gave me this wonderful life. I don't feel complete. I'd like to know, Rose. I think I need to know."

She felt a tear starting and resolved not to cry. This was the moment Rose had been avoiding for the past two years, but she'd always known it couldn't be put off forever. "What if...what if you already have a wife, maybe children?" she asked. "What if there's a family out there, and they want you back?"

"Is that what you're afraid of? It never occurred to me" He paused, then shook his head. "It's disturbing to think there might be a family out there I left behind. I suppose if that were true, they'd consider me dead by now. Maybe I could keep it that way. It could get complicated, but I'd never leave you."

He gently wiped the tear from her cheek. "I'm more afraid it would turn out I'd been an outlaw, some bandit who escaped the King's justice. What if I'm a murderer or rapist? How could you still love me, then?"

Rose laughed, needing the relief. "Oh, Tom, people don't change what they are by losing a few memories. You're an honest, caring man. You didn't get that way overnight." She could see the pleading in his eyes, but he’d promised to take her advice. He’d walk away from the Lady if she told him to. Maybe one day he would walk away from her as well, in search of his past.

She did what she had to do. "Tom, ask the Lady your questions. Then together, we'll go find out who you were. I won't even eavesdrop this time." She sniffed and managed a smile. "I can say I've never been happier in my whole life. Maybe when this is through, you'll be able to say the same."

She walked back up the path, leaving Tom and the Lady alone to conduct their business. For the first time, she wasn't at all excited or happy about going to battle as the Witch of the Woods. She wished she was just an ordinary woman whose biggest challenge was getting her husband to take a bath more often.

REMEMBER: Gerald will pick two names (from those who leave comments), to receive a signed copy of The Weaving. Make sure to leave your email addy so Gerald can contact you for you mailing address.