Neda Disney, Author of Planting Wolves

Today we are interviewing novelist/painter/sculptor Neda Disney about her new work, titled "Planting Wolves."

Tell us a bit about yourself.
It’s a funny thing for me to try and do. I so want to be authentic but it’s hard to not curate information. I just want to say, let’s hang out and get to know each other!

Describe your new book, “Planting Wolves,” in a few sentences.
The characters are connected through magical realism. There are clues about how they are connected. It’s hard to see at first. They need to find each other since each one holds a solution for the other’s brokenness. Six isolated people. And I threw in some dark humor. Haha.

Who do you think would most appreciate this book?
I think people who are okay with no resolution. People who recognize the characters somehow like they’ve met them. It’s the kind of book that will deeply irritate some folks.

One of the interesting aspects of this book is that it features the intersection of very different characters. What inspired you to write a story like this?
I often meet people in LA who lived a block or so away from me when I lived in NYC. It’s just remarkable we never met. We used the same laundromat, found we’d been at the same parties, knew the same people. It’s so weird how many people I know now who I walked right past before.

Tell us about some of your main characters.
Well, they aren’t where they feel they should be. They aren’t getting what they want. They all have these mortal wounds that never heal- I mean that figuratively. There’s a lot of “if only this thing were this way then I’d be happy.”
They’re traveling through their inner landscapes and not looking outward. How’s that for vague!

You’ve lived in England, Los Angeles, and New York. How has living in so many very different places affected your writing?
I have a very complete sense of otherness. Of quietly looking for my place, finding it, then being okay. Otherness passes for me, because I know it well and I know it’s a mirage.

All of the characters share a feeling of loneliness. What made you decide to include this characteristic in your book?
I didn’t mean to. I’ve heard that a lot, “Your characters are lonely and unhappy.” I’ve been saying “They are? Oh my god, I’m a total weirdo with sad people in my head.” I guess you’re right, though. I heard someone say that they end up solving their loneliness with isolation. 
It’s a loop, it won’t stop unless you invite people in.

On a similar note, does your book have a theme? If so, what is it?
The theme seems to accidentally be about planting people and things where they don’t belong.

Are there any authors who you cite as influences?
George Saunders, David Foster Wallace, of course, Denis Johnson... and many more.

How long have you been writing?
As long as I can remember.

Who was your favorite character to write?
Rodney and Nelly. The opposites unknowingly repelling each other like magnets held the wrong way.

What is your favorite book, and why?
It’s a toss-up between Infinite Jest and The Great Gatsby. I love Infinite Jest for its complex and detailed world and Gatsby for how so much is written and felt with such gorgeous economy.

What genre do you read most frequently?
I love crappy real crime books. The repetitive recounting of a murder and the clues. They’re so stupid but I just need to know who did it and why. I’m not a sophisticated reader.

How do you think you’ve evolved as a writer since when you first started?
That’s a solid question.
I’m less contrived. I just don’t try to be clever. That’s always obvious and annoying... I trust my readers to do their own thing while they read.

What was the most difficult aspect of writing this book?
Honestly, it was hard to take it seriously. I can’t treat it like a job so I have a scattered writing style, and that makes it hard to feel pressured or too invested. All my friends were on me about it. Finish it! Send it somewhere! Focus! Haha.

What are your goals as a writer for the next ten years?
I’m enjoying writing my next book very much. My ten-year goal is to keep writing when I feel moved by the muses and to keep connecting with people I don’t know through words.

You’ve worked with multiple media types, from sculpting to TV to radio to film. What inspired you to write a novel?
Okay, I’m starting to sound like a space cadet but they all felt like a novel. I narrate everything I do in my head. Well, not everything but most of those jobs are done alone. So there is a need for an observer and a witness. Narrative.

How have your readers responded to the book so far?
Well, my friends and family love it as they must. Great pre-release reviews. Someone called it a masterpiece. Another likened it to Infinite Jest and I was sure he or she was drunk or having a stroke.

What do you hope readers gain from reading your novel?
I hope they enjoy and feel that non-linear stories can exist just like everything in life.

Is there any aspect of writing you don’t like?
I don’t like autocorrect. It’s obscene and disruptive.

What is your favorite part of writing?
Being surprised about what comes out. About what in God’s name has been rattling around in my head and is about to spill.

Have you ever had writer’s block? If yes, how’d you deal with it? If you have not had writer’s block, why do you think you haven’t?
I am in a near-constant state of writer’s block. I don’t think of it as a block, though. It’s research time. A block comes from a lack of a story. Go live life and the flow returns.

What do you have in mind for your next project?
It’s all set in my neighborhood of Los Feliz in Los Angeles. It’s about class, money, and the lack thereof. It’s about divorce, home contractors, a waitress, a pissed-off rich woman, and a number of people, mostly female characters, trusting stereotypes without looking deeper. Mayhem ensues, haha.

Is there anything else you’d like potential readers to know about your book?
Don’t look too hard for plot or meaning. It will find you in its own time. Keep reading it when it’s finished. Keep it going in your head. 
It’s yours now, too.

More Information
Visit Neda Disney's website. 
Check out Neda Disney on Instagram. 

Christina Hagmann, Author of Stratagem

Today we are interviewing Christina Hagmann, author of “Stratagem,” a young adult suspense/fantasy novel.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I grew up in rural Wisconsin, running through the woods and climbing trees. I’ve loved reading and writing my whole life which is why I became an English teacher. In fifth grade, while on a family vacation, I got in a bike accident and couldn’t leave the couch. My mom told me not to read the Stephen King book that she brought along, so of course I did. That was when I first really began to enjoy reading because I saw it as something “dangerous.” I also coach youth sports, basketball and volleyball, when I’m not reading and writing.

Describe the plot of your new book, “Stratagem,” in a few sentences.
Born a shapeshifter, Meda is a young girl in an unfortunate situation. Taken from her family, she is forced to be a spy for a secret agency, until she is kidnapped by three boys who are seeking revenge on the agency. 

Who do you think would most appreciate this book?
I think anyone who likes mystery and suspense, novels with a twist, and quick reads will like Stratagem. It’s a young adult novel but interesting enough for adults to enjoy. 

Tell us about the protagonist, Meda.
Meda is a young girl in an unfortunate situation. She’s a shapeshifter and is forced to be a spy. Up until her kidnapping, she feels she has no other options, but when things start falling apart, she realizes that she needs to be strong enough to make her own decisions and live with the consequences. It really is a coming-of-age story. 

Without giving too much away, what can you tell us about Meda’s kidnappers?
Meda’s kidnappers are three teenage boys: Brody, Aaron, and Dan. They aren’t just normal teenage boys though. Much like Meda, certain situations have forced them to do what they need to do to survive. 

Meda reaches a point where she has to make decisions for herself and move beyond her training to just follow orders. Can you tell us what her thought process is like when she makes this transition?
Meda has always felt that she never had a choice but to follow orders because her family is in danger. She never thought about all the people she may have hurt. When she realizes she has a choice, she finds it difficult to determine which decision is the right one. 

Your book is filled with suspense and other classic elements of an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Were you always interested in writing suspense? Or was it something that evolved alongside your writing?
I’ve always loved movies and novels with plot twists and suspense. I’m also a big fan of horror movies that keep you on the edge of your seat. I’ve always loved that feeling, and I wanted my readers to feel the same way. It’s the idea that books make it possible to experience the danger in the world without actually being in danger. 

What inspirations contributed to this book?
A couple years back, I wrote a short story about a young shapeshifter who took over the lives of the people she shifted into. In order to do that, she had to kill them. After writing the story, I realized that the poor shapeshifter didn’t have much of a choice it was the only way she knew how to live. It was at that time that I began to play with the idea of telling the story from a different perspective, through the eyes of the “bad guy” because really, a story is all about perspective. Stratagem really embodies that because it is difficult to tell difference between right/wrong and good/bad. 

Author Christina Hagmann.

Is there an author that had a major influence on your writing style?
I’ve been a fan of Stephen King since reading Tommyknockers in the 5th grade. I also loved the writing style of Dean Koontz. I began collecting his books in 7th grade and had nearly 40 of them. Both King and Koontz write with amazing imagery and are able to set up unsuspecting plot twists. 

Who was your favorite character to write?
While I enjoyed Meda, Brody, and Dan, Isi was probably my favorite. She’s a wild card and it’s hard to guess what she’ll do next. She is always in survival mode, and you can bet that she’ll do what will benefit her. 

What are your goals as a writer for the next ten years?
I would love to put a book out every year. I’d love to do some school visits and engage young adults as readers. One of my passions is to pass on my love of reading to others, but I also love the process of creating a book by starting with an idea. I’ve been a pretty productive writer for the last ten years and I’d like to continue that.. 

How have your readers responded to the book so far?
So far the response has been amazing! I’ve heard from most readers that they just can’t put it down. There’s been a lot of questions around the second book, and I do have it outlined, so when readers ask when the next one is due out, that’s the only response I can give right now. 

Have you ever had writer's block? If yes, how'd you deal with it? If you have not had writer's block, why do you think you haven't?
I don’t really get “writer’s block.” I’m an outliner, so I always have multiple projects with outlines. Because of this, I’m able to skip around from scene to scene rather than tell a story chronologically. It’s easier to pick a scene that inspires me rather than try to work through a scene that I can’t quite picture. 

What do you have in mind for your next project?
I have a book coming out in winter of 2019 called The Brothers Finn. It’s another young adult fantasy about two brothers who are framed for the murder of their parents. It’s another fast paced, quick read with plenty of plot twists for readers to enjoy. 

Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
Many people have asked about the title. The title is actually an allusion that comes up later in the book and is important to the plot. 

An excerpt from “Stragegem”: 

“They’re coming,” the blond yelled out. The boy holding me pulled me around to the back of the car. Everything seemed to be taking so long, but only a matter of seconds had passed. There was a click, and the trunk popped open. “Quick, put her in.” The blond boy held a gun up. I squinted towards the rusty vehicle and the dark interior of the trunk.  

“No!” I kicked, struggling for words, and jerked my head back, trying to hit the dark-haired boy who was holding me, but he was bigger than me, and my head only thumped harmlessly against his chest. My kicks were useless. I couldn’t connect with anything. I tried to twist around, but he had a firm grip and was not letting go.  

“The cuffs!” the blond boy yelled. The driver of the car, who I couldn’t see, tossed something out the open window, but it missed its mark and clattered to the ground. Gunshots rang through the air. I flinched and stopped struggling, not sure who was firing. The dark-haired boy stopped and looked back long enough for me to see the men from the van running at us and firing their weapons.  

“Help!” I screamed. It occurred to me that if they were willing to open fire, then maybe the target, Mr. Gray, no longer mattered to them. Maybe the assignment was void and they would have to go with Plan B, which was riskier and had a higher mortality rate. That was what I was told going into this, warning what would happen if I failed or refused to follow through. More importantly, they didn’t need me for Plan B. 

I kicked again, but the boy holding me was too strong. The blond held the trunk open as the dark-haired boy lifted my legs in. He fumbled with me as I used my legs to push off the edges of the trunk, or whatever I could get my feet on. Instead of losing his grip on me, he pushed himself forward and folded himself over me. With his weight heavy against my back, he forced me down and hopped in the trunk with me. More gunshots fired. Bullets pinged off the side of the car. The trunk closed, wrapping everything in darkness.

More Information
Buy the book on Amazon.
Visit the author's website.
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Like the author on Facebook.

Raqee S. Najmuldeen, Author of Entries in: Art and Design

Today we are interviewing Raqee S. Najmuldeen, author of Entries in: Art and Design.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm an Iraqi lecturer teaching Graphic Design at Faculty of Fine Arts in University of Baghdad. In addition, I'm photographer and image maker. As a university lecturer, I am at the peak of academic excellence as I have a responsibility of modeling and bringing up tomorrow’s esteemed professionals.

Did you always know you wanted to get your PhD?
Since I was studying M.A in Baghdad, the idea of completing my graduate studies overseas was running at my mind, first to improve my English language and second to develop research skills. I was able to publish a paper in an international journal, but this was when I was studying in Malaysia.

Describe the purpose of your book in a few sentences.
To improve a good understanding and to update some of mysterious concepts and terminology of Fine Arts, Design and Photography.

Who do you think would most appreciate this book?
The book directed toward Art and Design students, researchers and lecturers in the Arabic world; the book covers a lot of English literature I encountered during my studies at University Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia. 
 
What inspired you to write a book about Art and Design philosophy?
What inspired me is the need for such topics, particularly what was written in the Arabic language is a bit rare compared to what was written in English. In addition, what was written in Arabicwas  mostly not based on Art and Design literature. In the beginning, the book was my website blog, and then I decided to embed all the essays into a hardcopy book. 

How did you select which topics to cover in your book?
I chose topics that have not been covered by authors previously and topics that have problematic idiomatic. Some of the topics are: creation, mind mapping, magical realism, design vs redesign, design vs art, teaching design criticism, environmental art, green design, research in design, ethics of design, creative integrity, jealousy in art and design.

Your book is the first book by a University of Baghdad lecturer to be printed in the United States and be published and distributed by Amazon. What made you decide to share your book to audiences in the United States?
Let's talk first about Arabic presses and publisher houses. There is no law that protects Arabic printed text as it is available in English text; there are no rights of the authors' the publishing house gives around 50 hardcopies of the book to the author for free and take all the profits from the book sale. The problem is that most authors are not looking for profit but are looking for only personal fame and publicity rather. Second thing is that the printing with US presses is really different from what is in the Arab presses; the US presses use the latest printing technology available, so an author may find quality in paper, colors, and binding. I decided to share my book on Amazon not only to audiences in US but to the whole world, the Arabic intellectual must get used to Amazon either as a reader to purchase books and/or as a writer to share his/her thoughts to audiences.

Did you face any issues getting your work printed with an English printing press since your book is in Arabic?
I did since the English printing press, publishing and marketing are set only for Latin books and do not support non-English books, such as Arabic language books, which read from right to left. There were many issues, such as Arabic fonts, margins, binding and book cover, how to make a book that can be read from right to left. It was a challenge. But as I'm a graphic designer who is equipped with a lot of experience, I managed to handle those issues successfully, thank Goodness. 

The book cover features three unique images. What can you tell us about these images? Why did you select these images?
Most of book covers designers use free heavily used images and common windows fonts which are the two big mistakes. In my cover, I meant to use images that are not common in Google images. Each image represents a different concept, one refers to Graphic Design and Fine Arts, second refers to Industrial Design while the third refers to Painting.

Author Raqee S. Najmuldeen

How do you think reading your book will impact people?
I think the reader will be influenced from the third page of the book, which initiated the words of the sarcastic writer Colin Wright, whom distinguishes Art from Design by saying the difference between them is like the difference between masturbation and sex! The book is biased slightly toward Design, giving it a bigger role. Considering Art is a part of Design and Design makes use of Art, this idea will shock the reader like a cold shower because most scholars believe that art is the highest concept rather than design, but this book contradicts this assumption and thus will have an impact on the reader.

What do you have in mind for your next writing project?
In fact, I'm thinking to write an English book about the relationship among Graphic Design, Advertising and Photography.

Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
I invite all specialized readers to read my book as they will find comprehensive information and general information about Art and Design as well as get exposed to ideas that are absent in other literature. The book will not allow the reader to be bored.

More Information 
Buy the book on Amazon