Sunday, November 6, 2011

Guest Author - Jeff Horton

Today please welcome Jeff Horton!
Author of The Dark Age: Survivors of the Pulse.

Jeff Horton was born in North Dakota, the youngest son of a career Air Force master sergeant, where he spent the first four years of his life before moving to North Carolina. A somewhat voracious reader growing up, he read everything from comic books to The Bible, including stories by many popular authors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Michael Crichton, Tom Clancy, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien.
Jeff Horton's novel, The Great Collapse, a story about the coming of the pulse and the end of civilization, was published in 2010. He is a member of the North Carolina Writers Network.
When he's not penning his next novel, he enjoys reading, going to church, and spending time with his family.   You can check out his website by clicking HERE

He was gracious enough offer me an interview:             
? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I began my first attempt at writing several years ago, though I have always wanted to write. I decided long ago that should I ever have the opportunity to retire, I would like to spend much of my time writing.
? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?
Quite a few, though most of them were within the information technology field. I suspect I could spend the rest of my life quite content writing novels!
? How long does it take you to write a book?
It generally takes me several months to write the first draft of a novel, and several more months doing rewrites and final editing.
? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Probably my writing style. Although I'm sure that it is by no means unique, it is somewhat unusual. I prefer to write with only a loose idea of what the novel is about. As I write, the story takes on a life of its own, growing and taking on a unique form or signature all its own. When I'm about a third into the novel, I outline the remainder of the storyline, while remaining flexible to changes in direction and development. 
? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?
Just as I outlined above. It always helps to have a quiet environment in which to write.
? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?
Most often the characters in my novels are an amalgam of people that I know or admire.
? How do you decide what you want to write about?
Usually what happens is that while I'm working on one project, the idea for another story comes to mind. I try to capture the idea before I lose it, so I can refer back to it at another time.
? What books have most influenced your life?
The Bible, Sherlock Holmes, Lee Strobel's Case for… series,  books by Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, H.G. Wells, etc.
? What is the first book you remember reading by yourself?
(Chuckling). That would have to be Tarzan of the Apes, by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I have no remembrance how it came into my possession, only that I seemed to have it even before I was able to read!
? What are you reading right now?
I've been quite busy on the release of my novels, but I was reading Mike Huckabee's latest book, an a book entitled, Evil Plans, a book about succeeding in life by taking a different path. The last novel I read was Flash Forward, a science-fiction novel which I immensely enjoyed.
? What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Attending Church, spending time with my family, watching movies, etc.
? What is your favorite comfort food?
Chocolate, hands-down!
? What do you think makes a good story?
I believe it boils down to this; deep, interesting, and likeable characters.
? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?
After God (the Bible of course), it would be a tough second. Let's just say it would be a tie between Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells, Charles Dickens, Tom Clancy, and Michael Crichton.
? What book, if any, do you read over and over again?
For whatever reason I don't seem to be the type to re-read the same novel over and over again. Once I read a story once, I like to move on to the next.

·        Dogs or cats?  Dogs, of course, cats have never given me enough attention!
·        Coffee or tea?  Coffee for sure! While I also enjoy tea, coffee rules!
·        Dark or milk chocolate? Tough question! Dark is better for you, but milk chocolate tastes so much better! I guess I generally gravitate to milk                                        chocolate the most often.
·        Rocks or flowers?   Hmm, metal. Flowers are beautiful but metal is more                                                          needful!
·        Night or day?   Day. While I enjoy the night as well, I can do more during                                                 the day!
·        Favorite color?  Blue or green. Blue for the sky and green for the grass.
·        Crayons or markers?     Markers. Crayons don’t offer as much color.

·        Pens or pencils?Pencils. I make too many changes for pens!
You can buy his books Here or Here.

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole.
Happy Reading.

2012 Bucket List Reading Challenge

This challenge is hosted by The Eclectic Bookshelf.
The 2012 "Bucket List" Reading Challenge is the challenge to sign up for if YOU have a list of books that you are dying to read but just haven't gotten to them yet.  The rules are simple for this challenge and I've also included a couple of sample "Bucket" Lists to provide a good starting point.  NOTE:  The link titled "Bucket List" Books is a list that I created and if you would like to add books to that list I encourage you to.
Rules:
1. Challenge starts on January 1, 2012 and goes until December 31, 2012.
2. You don't need a blog to participate.
3. Create a "sign up" post and link to the linky below.
4. There are 4 levels to this challenge....
      a. The Mini Cooper level - 4 "bucket" list books
      b. The Mid-sized Sedan level - 8 "bucket" list books
      c. The Pick Up level - 12 "bucket" list books
      d. The Semi level - 13 or more "bucket" list books
(I am choosing the Pick Up level - I figure one book per month should be doable!)

2012 Read Your Own Books Reading Challenge

This reading challenge is hosted by: Tales from the Crypt.
You can get to the challenge post HERE.
This challenge is for those of us who have books that we’ve purchased and just haven’t gotten to.  I will go into what does and does not qualify for this challenge below.
Rules:
  • Starts January 1, 2012 and ends December 31, 2012
  • Anyone can join
  • You don’t have to have a blog to participate.
  • Non-Bloggers feel free to share your list of books in the comment section of the monthly link up post.
  • Reviews though not required are always nice.
  • Audio, E-books, Bound all count
  • Re-reads DO NOT count
  • There is no need to come up with your list of books in advance.
  • Challenge crossovers ok
  • Create a sign up post and link up in the linky below.
What qualifies for this challenge?:
Any book that you have personally purchased, been gifted, or swapped, BEFORE January 1, 2012 and just have not gotten the chance to read yet.
What DOES NOT qualify for this challenge?:
Any book that has been purchased AFTER January 1, 2012.
Any book that you have been asked to review
Tour sites, Netgalley, GalleyGrab, etc.
Library Books
Levels:
Level 1 – Read 1-5 Your Own Books
Level 2 – Read 6-10 Your Own Books
Level 3 – Read 11-20 Your Own Books
Level 4 – Read 21+ Your Own Books
I am signing up for level 2 and hoping to make it to level 3!

2012 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

This challenge is hosted by My Readers Block.
You can get to the challenge page HERE.
Challenge Levels
Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Vancouver: Read 25 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Ararat: Read 40 books from your TBR piles/s
Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 50 books from your TBR pile/s
El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Everest: Read 100+ books from your TBR pile/s
And the rules:
*Once you choose your challenge level, you are locked in for at least that many books. If you find that you're on a mountain-climbing roll and want to tackle a taller mountain, then you are certainly welcome to upgrade.
*Challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2012.

I have chosen the Pike's Peak challenge level

Yet another challenge - I am sure it's an addiction!

This challenge is being hosted by Good Golly Miss Molly.
The goal is to read 5 books before you buy yourself one.  So...read 5 = buy 1.
I love this idea - it's a great way to handle both my reading mountain and my book buying obsession!
Come on along - it'll be fun!  Wish me luck!