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13 Questions With…CA Milson, 2nd Edition
Courtesy of TheWrittenUniverse. Thanks so much Tracey.
13 Questions with C.A.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.
Win A Horror Pack!
With a new year comes a new contest!
As part of the new release of Bloodline Of Darkness, we are giving away a Horror Pack to 5 lucky readers
Horror Pack includes:
* Rise Of The Darkness novel by C.A.Milson
* Rise Of The Darkness Audiobook
* An autographed copy of the film script for Rise Of The Darkness, signed by J.D.Rebel, C.A.Milson and the film crew
* A walk on role in the film, Rise Of The Darkness
* Issue One of Phantasmalyptic – The Graphic Comic
* DVD Pack of two classic horror films
To be in the running, simply purchase a copy of Bloodline Of Darkness from ASJ Publishing, take a photo of yourself with the book (Cover displaying in photo).
Purchase from: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/bloodline-of-darkness/14418685
Best or most outrageous photo wins!
Entries close August 15st 2011 and the 5 winners will be announced September 1st 2011.
Good Luck Everyone!
Review of Rise Of The Darkness by The Written Universe
Courtesy of The Written Universe. The original post can be found here.
The Chosen – Rise of the Darkness
by
CA Milson
Available through Amazon in hardcover or paperback.
In a nutshell: if you like stories where battles are waged between man and forces of the darker regions, then this book is for you.
CA Milson has crafted a well-paced story of man versus demonic forces, both intent on winning the day.
Our main characters are all paranormalists of some stripe, some really into the game and others with motives less than pure.
It all starts when Alex attends a seminar where fellow paranormal investigators are going to speak. We are introduced to Usher, a Cherokee Indian who has a gift for sensing the supernatural and Drake Winters, the All-American Boy who has taken to paranormal research.
Another personality in the paranormal world is discussed in the seminar, one Jamiesonn, who back in the 1700s established a cult and literally indulged in human sacrifice and all manner of atrocities until local townspeople where he lived put him to death in a variety of ways – yes, you read that right, ways…he pulled a Rasputin and just wouldn’t die and ended up literally disappearing before the crowds eyes…dead or not? You decide.
During the discussion at the seminar, it is posited that Jamiesonn survived and is merely biding his time to come back and take up his evil ways.
Drake declares he will be the one to send Jamiesonn to another plane of existence, but Alex doesn’t believe he can.
Drake and Alex form an uneasy alliance, neither one really trusting the other, and set out to find Jamiesonn and stop him. Before they can, an apparition appears and warns them off – and then the fun starts.
Demonic forces begin to run rampant…visions are seen and heard, death prevails, people are taken over by demons…blood runs.
Yet there is another force at work here in the form of a scroll that was found in some Mayan ruins which tells of the destruction of the greatest civilizations in history. The scroll contains the name of The One who will end the strife and preserve mankind.
It is from this point that Milson takes us on a frenetic ride of demons running amuck, forces of good opposing forces of evil, and Alex’s journey into the midst of this maelstrom.
Ultimately this is a story of good versus evil, playing out their epic battles in the midst of mankind who is usually woefully inept at handling a crisis like this.
Milson pens a story revealing how we as humans are sometimes asked to do some things we don’t think we can do to go towards the greater good.
My only complaint is there were a few set pieces in the book where I would have liked to see more detail. Don’t get me wrong, you get enough to know what’s happening, but I could see some places where Milson could have stood to add a little meat to his stew.
Milson says Stephen King is an inspiration and I have to admit there were times when I did notice the writing did bring to mind the style of a younger SK.
Take note – the story will continue in Bloodline of Darkness.
For more information on the sequel visit:
http://bloodlineofdarkness.info
For more information on CA Milson, visit: http://www.authorcamilson.com/
December Offer
For December, I would like to offer a sampling of the novel, Rise Of The Darkness for anyone that would like to read a portion of the book.
The attached PDF Rise Of The Darkness is the first 10 chapters of the novel.
If you like reading the book, then I would like to encourage you to consider purchasing from my website at: www.authorcamilson.com
Happy Holidays
C.A. Milson
Alex – A Poem
Alex is someones brother, someones son
He special he is the Chosen One
He is a boy walking towards being a man
Working out his life time plan
He fights the shadows and things he can’t see
When all he wants is to go back to being free
To make whats happening a memory
He sits here as the shadows show there ugly power
He endures it every minute ,every hour
He senses it growing, wanting to fight
It isn’t right
Allex walks in the light
He is only a boy, The Chosen One
Fighting a war which never should’ve have begun
He stands up against all the shadows, and fears
Sometimes he is bought close to tears
Even though he is The Chosen One
He is here to protect other peoples sons
He puts himself first and in between
So some else can live there dream
To give them a chance
So with the enemy he must dance
Written By The Gisborne Poet
Jennifer Palmer
20 Years… A reflection…
As this title suggests, “20 Years, A Reflection”.
This is an opportunity for you to share with me in this journey that has brought me this far, and as you read further, I will be giving readers the opportunity to purchase a Commemorative Autographed E-Copy of Rise Of The Darkness.
Although I tend not to blog much these days, there is good reason for that, which I will go into later.
It was 20 years ago when I first started writing. It was July 1989, and I was in Winchelsea Victoria at the time, living on a small piggery, located 5 or so miles out of town.
Winchelsea was – and still is – a small town in rural Victoria, Australia. More or less the type of town where there was 1 bank, 1 pub, about half a dozen shops, and a post office which doubled as the local grocery/convenience store. Back then, the population boasted in the hundreds, and life was very quiet, which seemed to suit me just fine.
I remember I was living with my sister, her partner (Scott), and another guy (Leroy, who we called LaRoy for some bizarre reason), in a 3 bedroom cottage farm house, which was situated some 100 yards or so off the main road. If you stood on the front porch, you could barely make out the highway past the 5 foot high grass 🙂
That old weatherboard house, the town, and the surroundings, fueled my creativity. In many scenes of Rise Of The Darkness, there is a definate parrallel between Winch and Winmont… After all, Alex’s adventure had to have some element of truth. Even if that truth was based on a small town 🙂
Our mornings were usually met with the overwhelming stench of pig waste, as the piggery was pretty much situated right behind the cottage.
I found that the quiet country life quickly became a starting point for my writing. Apart from the definate comparisons to several scenes in Rise Of The Darkness – Such as the clearing, the hospital, and alot of other locations – I did write several other short stories in the old house.
If I wasn’t going to Geelong or Torquay, I would often sit at the kitchen table with a notepad and pen and write, write and write some more. My days were often like that. I would start my day with coffee and cigarette, sit at the table and pen away like there was no tomorrow. There were times when I would be writing away, and my sister would be in the kitchen making Coconut Ice or baking bread, which was cool as I got to try the food first 🙂
At that table, in that house, outside of that town, in the middle of nowhere, Shack of Evil was born. A 9 page story which eventually became Rise Of The Darkness.
But, writing stories did not stop with Shack of Evil. I wanted to branch into other genres also, such as Sci-fi, drama, and childrens stories. After SOE came – I believe – a short story titled Fangs.
Fangs was the story about a Yeti that is brought into captivity by hunters, and how they sadistically experimented on the animal. Although it was written in a sense of “horror”, there was also a side of the creature that I tried to make feel human compassion. The ending scene of Fangs was touching, as the beast was killed. The story left a tear in my eye, so I soon followed up with the sequel, Fangs Lives.
Unfortunately – or fortunately – Fangs Lives never got past the first 5 pages. The idea may have been good, but the idea was scraped.
Then along came the sci-fi short stories. The Battle For Time, Time Master, and some others that are less then memorable. Pretty much those stories were stories that are best left in the crypt – for eternity 🙂
During that time, I also wrote a children’s story titled Fun In Tailytown. I wont go into details about the storyline, as that is just one of the stories which will be re-written in time to come.
In the mass of stories, was also a christian horror, titled Revelation, taken from my understanding of the Book Of Revelation. That story ended up being about 15 pages. Yet another that would stay in the crypt of my mind – for now.
There was also another title in development – Infestation – which was the story of a paranormal investigator, who for some reason is sent to investigate the infestation of 25 foot long cockroaches in New York City underground. Cockroaches that have a hunger for human flesh and give birth to live young. Now, just why I had a paranormal investigator as the main hero, I will never know. But in 1989, I thought I had a great idea. But after the wave of Hollywood films of similar scripts, I think I will leave that in the crypt also, unless I re-work the entire plot.
There was also a story about love gone wrong. Well, not exactly, but it was the story of forbidden love; As one man fell in love with a girl, and he knew that the love he had for her could never be reciprocated. The idea was taboo and will probably remain just another that will remain in the dark.
In that time of my life, for the months I lived in Winch, I managed to write 26 short stories. Now, although some will be re-written (majorly) and released either as novels or as part of my Short Story Anthology, there will obviously be some that will remain dead and never will resurface. The basis of some of those stories may have merit in their own way, but for me, I feel that it is best that they lay where they are. In the crypt of my mind.
I first started seeking representation for a publisher in 1989 also. I remember I saw an ad for a publishing firm in NYC. They were called Vantage Press. A definate vanity publisher, which, in 1989, agreed that they would publish my anthology for the nice sum of $10,000USD. Quite a price to pay just to be published! And I must say, that I am grateful that I did not have $10,000USD at that time, as it would have been a huge mistake on my part to have published stories that were very VERY amatuer.
Yes, I admit it. My writing style was very amatuer and even I did not like my own work. Why? Because I knew I could do better. I knew that those stories were nothing what they could and should have been. So it was a good thing that I never went ahead with Vantage Press.
But, in 1989, I was 20 years old, and knew narda about the writing world. I was nieve and an “easy target” for vanity publishers. All I had was a dream and delusions of grandier. 🙂
After I left Winch, I went back to Brisbane, and for the next 5 years my writing sat in a dark vault of my mind, waiting to be released.
In 1994, I found a reason to write again. I was sharing a house with some college kids, and one person I shared the house with – J.B. – I found I had a connection to. She had a creative mind also, and although her passion was singing, we did bounce around many ideas for stories in the wee hours of the night. I had only known her for about 16 days, but for some bizarre reason it seemed that we knew each other for so much longer. Maybe she was a kindred spirit at the time.
She inspired me to write again. So I wrote the basis for what will be soon Bloodline Of Darkness.
But soon after the series of events in that house, I found myself living with my father again, and again I threw myself into writing. As I did 5 years before, I would start my day with coffee and cigarettes and write as fast as I could, while listening to music that was being played on Brisbane radio station Triple M or B105.
1994 I rewrote Shack Of Evil into what was back then The Chosen One. Of course, I did have so many titles in mind, which I have mentioned in previous posts.
After I had finished what was a 2 part, 300 page book, I decided to ask for a review and critique from family members. Of course, the reception I received less than favorable.
I remember my father said, “Oh you want to be a writer so you can big-note yourself!”
My aunt said, “Your writing is repetative and is that of a child. I could write better.”
Okay, that was crushing, and was enough for me to stop living in a fairytale for a time.
So began a new journey. That in marketing. That journey has spanned the last 15 years, but I am not here to talk about that 🙂
Many years passed. 13 to be exact. 13 long years of not wanting to write, but always, the niggling feeling – the biting – still haunted me. Taunted me. Niggling me to start writing again. But I chose not to. Partly because I didn’t want to, and partly because I never found the time.
But I am glad I did make time.
In 1997 I was living in Auckland, New Zealand when I started a search for a publisher. I sent out a mass of email enquiries, and 50-odd rejection slips later I got an offer from a POD publisher in Baltimore MD. That day changed my life.
Which brings me to today.
Although The Chosen was first published in 2008, it was since reworked and was re-released in 2009, which includes the some of the original characters that were chopped from the first release. The title was also revamped to Rise Of The Darkness; The first book in a trilogy.
For those who may not know the Synopsis:
From the time that the Darkness ruled the ancient tribes, The Elders prophesied of a time when a descendant of The Gods would arise. Tonight, in the town of Winmont, an Ancient Legion has been awoken to finish what they started many millennia ago. Now, the fate of humanity is in the hands of One, but can he overcome the forces that dare to challenge the bloodline of the Gods?Alex Manning is The One. Born of a heritage that was once a powerful civilization before it was destroyed by the Giants that once walked among men. Now tonight, in a small town, after thousands of years of being bound in the Dark Realm, the Ancient Darkness has been unleashed, and they set about to finish what was begun. Only Alex can stop the Dark Forces from destroying this town, but will he fulfil his own tests and sacrifice his life for those would seek to betray him?
I recount the years that have passed from the time I began writing. The journey has been a long and often difficult road. Especially from the time I started in 1989 to 1997. A period of 18 years it took for me to become a published author. Which is a milestone in itself.
Once I became published, the world seemed to change. Or the way I see it has changed. Not that I am going to “big-note” myself as one would claim as that is not who I am. Truth be told I rather sit infront of my PC and write the next novel than doing book-signings and all the rest of the public spotlight stuff. But, being a writer, one has to deal with that.
Along this journey, I have made some friends, and lost some friends, but that’s life. Some things I have written have been blasted and that is okay too. I express my opinion and sometimes those opinions do not meet favorable feedback.
One thing though, I am thankful for the readers and those who have supported me during this journey.
Which brings me to today. And the reason why I have not blogged much.
As some will have noticed, this site has been modified a little, and comment moderation has been changed so that a person needs to register in order to leave feedback. This was done because in recent weeks there had been a flood of messages on this site, to the point where I had to delete all several hundred “pending messages” several times a day. I am not joking. I had 200 to 300 spam messages a day waiting moderation. So to combat the spam I changed the settings where if you want to leave feedback on a post, you have to register.
Now to explain what is happening. I have not been on here as much as I would want to. mainly because of other projects that are in the pipeline.
If you have been following me on Twitter, Facebook or Tagged, you will notice that these last few weeks I have been busy filming on location in Samara, Russia.
There are 2 projects in development right now here. One is the video titled, “C. A. Milson’s World – Samara.” The video we are producing right now is a tour of Samara. From the Metallurg to the Embankment, and some interviews with local celebrities. Everything that you could want to know about travelling in Samara, taken from a tourists’ POV.
The video, when complete, will be available for distribution online and will hopefully be on the likes of Travel Channel Network.
Although there has been a short posted online titled “Out-takes“, that is exactly what that clip is. Out takes and goofs while filming, and is not a representation of what the finished version will look like. The finished version will run between 45 to 60 minutes when complete, and will give any traveller an insight into Samara; From the customs of Russian people, the architecture, local shopping, places to see, how to get around, and some local legends, some of which are listed on my blogsite.
We have discovered that filming is not as easy as we would hope, so this video will take some time to complete. But we hope to wrap up production by August.
After the travel video is a wrap, we will be moving on to our new projects:
No Ordinary Girl – Set the the music of Caribbean Blue, the film is about a young woman who lives an ordinary life, but at the same time she has a creative world going on inside her. The film mixes documentary-like images with creative imagery, as the film reflects on an ordinary day in the life of a not so ordinary girl. This will be available for viewing on YouTube and AtomFilms.
Darkness Unearthed – What if the world you knew was nothing more than a shadow of realism? Based on The Chosen Series, the new screenplay by C.A. Milson will be released in 2010.
There are also other stories and books in the pipeline, which you can read about here.
As part of my 20 year journey, I am giving readers the opportunity to purchase the Commemorative Autographed E-Copy of Rise Of The Darkness. Rise Of The Darkness is a 302 page supernatural/horror novel that will appeal to anyone who likes the works of Stephen King or H.P.Lovecraft.
The Commemorative Autographed E-Copy of Rise Of The Darkness is available in PDF format for the special discount price of $3.00USD.
To order the Commemorative E-Book, you can make payment using Paypal to: leadsnz@yahoo.com, and dont forget to add your Email address.
I wanted to thank you all for taking the time to reading this long entry.
Stay Scared!
C.A.Milson
C.A. Milson 