A Slice of Cake With... Kimberley Cale

This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with author Kimberley Cale. 

Kimberley Cale writes fantasy romance and is the author of the Sea Temptress Series and the epic Tales of Terraron. She has been a reading addict for as long as she can remember. While she enjoys reading anything and everything from historical, paranormal to contemporary novels, she has found her passion bringing her feisty heroines together with their bad-boy heroes and adding a spark of magic to create fantastic page-turning romance.

What kind of stories do you write?

Thank you for having me here at A Slice of Cake, Claire. I write books full of myths, romance and magic with feisty heroines and bad boy heroes who come together to create steamy scenes. I’m currently working on my sea temptress series.

Can you describe your writing why?

I have to get these stories out of my head and onto the paper. There is nothing like the feeling of finishing a story but even better is when a reader tells me they enjoyed what I wrote. An entertaining read, that’s the goal.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

Tell us about your latest project

Caught is my first book on Amazon, available on kindle for pre-order but if you just can’t wait you can get the paperback version now.

It’s a fantasy romance about Lorelei a mermaid and the daughter of the sea god Poseidon. She is forced by her father to marry a brutal suitor to further his quest for power.

Quinn O’Connor is the pirate captain who has kidnapped her to an island forbidden to her kind. He vows to make her pay because he believes Lorelei is the leader of the deadly sirens who sank his ship and killed his crew. SPR gave it an editorial review of four and a half stars.

What is your favourite cake?

Come on Claire, that’s like asking me to pick a favourite child, but as long as you don’t rat me out to the other cakes I have a definite weakness for homemade chocolate cake (what can I say I’m a purist) but layered and frosted with real melted chocolate and sour cream frosting. Trust me unless you’ve tried it, you don’t know what you’re missing. 

That is a fabulous choice... I won't tell the other cakes! You can connect with Kimberley here:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KimberleyCaleAuthor/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Twitter https://twitter.com/kimberleycale  
Website www.kimberleycale.com
Email info@kimberleycale.com
Amazon: amazon.com/author/kimberleycale
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/kimcale

Join me next week when I have a slice of cake with Kayla Krantz.

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

A Slice of Cake With... Lee Garratt

This week I am delighted to have a slice of cake with fellow author Lee Garratt.

Lee has been a kibbutznik, a Metropolitan police officer, has taken people up the Mekong river and hiking in the Polish mountains, and is currently a middle aged teacher with delusions of grandeur, living in Derby, England. Brought up on a diet of John Wyndham, Hemingway and Le Guin, from Rochdale's public libraries and WHSmith's, he writes a variety of poetry and prose.

What kind of stories do you write?

Hmm. Well the two books that I have had published that are all mine are both collections of my short stories and poems so they are generally something of a mixed bag! One is more fantasy (genre heading alert) – personally I see lots of influences of Ursula Le Guin here. They seem to be often set in a vaguely familiar timeless Earth type setting. My sci fi (apologies!) seems to me to be somewhat old fashioned perhaps, and pretty ‘English’. I see lots of John Wyndham influences (overdue a revival in his popularity surely).

Can you describe your writing why?

Fame and fortune! Ha. It’s difficult to be precise with this. On some level it is an egoism I think. A striving to impress and, yes, be recognised as a ‘good writer’. On another level, I find, no matter the struggles and frustrations of life, the actual act of creating something of worth, very satisfying! When I finish something and get it published I find that incredibly pleasing. I suppose, for lifetime readers like myself, the ‘book’ is something sacred. To get something published with my own name on it will always be a buzz I think.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

I don’t think this is particularly representative but this story Bitter Weeds, from my collection, Other Times, Distant Lands, was a fun one to write.

Zarg looked at the moon above and spat. Generations beyond count, he and his people had lived on this planet and their hatred of it had only grown more fierce, more strong with each passing year. Lived here. Hah that was a joke. Survived here barely. Hid in caves away from the burning sun. Buried themselves deep into the earth to escape the freezing cold of the nights. Scrabbled at the red soil for miserable amounts of water which, no matter how much they filtered, still tasted like old metal. Ranged for miles and miles to hunt and kill the elusive garbs, beasts that ran without exhaustion, fought and kicked like devils when finally cornered, and tasted like hell itself when roasted.

Tell us about your latest project

Ok. It’s called New Worlds and, similar to Other World, Distant Lands, it’s a collection of my short stories and poems. While ‘other worlds’ is more sci fi though, this is much more varied. It ranges from the fantasy of a story about a magical flute to the alternate history of an imagined England that never threw off the yoke of a feudal Norman rule. It ranges from the 1980s Manchester of my childhood to the wilderness of 18th century New England. It’s great – you should buy it.

What is your favourite cake?

Lemon Meringue. Always has been, always will. The smack of YELLOW calls to me across any crowded bakery.

A great choice, Lee! You can check out Lee's books on Amazon. 

Join me next week when I have a slice of cake with Kimberley Cale.

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round! 

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

Tuesday Poem - Dwindling Light

 It’s getting dark now Mummy

The sun has gone to bed early

The birds aren’t singing anymore

And the clouds are grim and scary

 

It’s getting cold now Mummy

I don’t want to wear shorts anymore

I need a new rain jacket and wellies

Else there will be puddles on the floor

 

It’s very windy out there Mummy

It’s whipping all the leaves and trees

It doesn’t seem to have a problem

Blowing through me with ease

 

It’s so very rainy now Mummy

Drizzly and damp all day long

The comes the regular deluge

Like it was summoned by a song

 

The trees look so very bare now Mummy

They lost all their leaves

Do you think they need a hat or scarf

I don’t want them to freeze

 

It’s getting dark now Mummy

In the morning and before the night

I want an extra cuddle please

I want to hug you extra tight

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

Label or No Label

Labels. No-one really likes them yet everyone tries to make sure they have the right one. But who even decides which labels are 'right'?

And what if you are the parent and are put in the impossible position of whether to label your child or not. Your own child is the most precious thing you'll ever create. You celebrate their highs and comiserate with their lows. Each of their wins is like one of your own and you spend your entire life hoping that they succeed at everything they want to achieve.

So what do you do when your child might need that extra label? The one that will make them stand out but may also help them in the long run. Do you go for it or not?

Can you ignore the comments and the snide looks from the other kids and their parents? Knowing that you won't always be there to protect your child every minute of every day. 

I'm in this position. Teetering on the edge of whether to buy my son one of these badges or not:

A big part of me feels like I shouldn't have to point out his differences, that it doesn't matter and everyone else should just accept him for who he is. But then the cynical part of my brain knows that will never happen because people don't like it when things are different. Everyone has to be exactly the same brand of sheep, no matter what.

The other thing that worries me is whether telling the other children at his school will result in more teasing and exclusion because now they have a reason. Their suspicions have been confirmed. Here is someone who is different. My heart hurts at that thought because my boy will have no ability to protect himself from that type of cruelty. 

I just don't know what to do for the best. And it's that uncertainty that clouds every single parenting decision I make. How can I be sure that I don't make the wrong decision? And who will help me fix it when I inevitably muck it up?

If I ever figure it out, I'll be sure to let you know. For now, be patient with me. 

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

A Slice of Cake With... Karina Kantas

This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with author Karina Kantas.

Karina is a prolific author of 13 titles. Including the gritty MC thriller series, Outlaw and the exciting award-winning, YA fantasy duology, Illusional Reality.

She also writes short stories and when her imagination is working overtime, she writes thought-provoking dark flash fiction.

There are many layers to Karina's writing style and voice, as you will see in her award-winning, flash fiction collection, Heads & Tales and in Undressed she opens up more to her fans, giving them another glimpse into her warped mind.

When Karina isn't busy working on her next bestseller, she's a publicist, author manager and VA. She's also the host of the popular radio show, Author Assist on the Artist First Radio Network and host of the YouTube show, Behind The Pen.

Karina writes in the genres of fantasy, MC romance, Young Adult. sci-fi, horror, thrillers and comedy, romance, PNR, dystopian and erotica.

You can find her on Facebook and Twitter, where she loves hanging out with her readers.

What kind of stories do you write?

I write in most fiction genres. 

Stone Cold is a very biographical novella without the murders and supernatural elements I’ve thrown in.

Illusional Reality, book one. Becky soon founds out her whole life is a lie and that she’s about to come face to face with an enemy she didn’t even know she had.

The Quest, book two of the Illusional Reality duology, award-winning novel. Yet again, it’s up to Thya to save her kinsmen. But now she has more than her life to worry about.

Heads & Tales is an award-winning collection of dark and thought-provoking fiction.

Undressed is my second collection of fiction, poetry and prose.

The Outlaw series. In Times of Violence, Huntress, Lawless Justice, Road Rage. Four books the tell stories about a group of people that don’t fit into society and refuse to bend to their rules. 

Toxic. Acid Rain forced Maloks to live inside mountains. But it’s not an easy life when you’re being watched and can be cast out at any given time.

A Flash of Horror. Taking the darkest tales from Undressed and Heads & Tales and making a separate collection.

Can you describe your writing why?

Life motivates me to write. Reading a great book or watching a great film, gets me motivated.

I have so many ideas running around my head, so I have to get them out. I get a lot of closure from writing. It’s like therapy sometimes.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

From The Quest. Book 2 of the award-winning duology, Illusional Reality.

“I sense your presence, Bustak, come forth.” 

No sooner had she spoken, a vision appeared. A huge, floating mass of jellied flesh bobbed in front of her. There was no head, or body, and its only facial feature was a blinking eye in its centre. A red beam emitted from its ruby-red iris, landing on her chest. 

Was this the Bustak? The creature she’d feared?

“Appearances can be deceiving, Queen Thya.” No mouth opened, yet the Bustak’s voice was stern and demanding. “It was inevitable this encounter would occur, and I have remained for some duration to sight you. Do you know why you are in my presence?”

“I have been detained against my will, as I am sure you are aware. I have been enlightened to the fact that I am to be a sacrifice to you.” 

“A sacrifice?” His laugh quivered, as did the jellied flesh. “Nay, Thya, tis not the concept. King Theon realized your true potential and dispatched you to me and he will be greatly rewarded.”

“If not a sacrifice, what do you desire from me?”

The Bustak remained silent for some while before speaking again. “Do you not sense the spirit?” 

Her stomach dropped. “What spirit?”

“Have you not questioned where your strength and power originate from? You are unique, Thya, and yet unaware. I will not harm you. However. you will remain among your fellow Gestles for eternity.”

Tell us about your latest project

My latest project is a dark romance mafia thriller, Broken Chains. I’m writing this directly onto Wattpad, sharing it with the publics, before the book is even edited. I am then narrating each part, so people can sit back and listen to the book come alive. I’m also sharing chapter with my mailing list subscribers.

Broken Chains involves MI5, the Greek, Italian and the Russian mafia. Elizabeth Finaly, who is wanted, kidnapped and tortured by each of them. The book is half the way done, I see an ending in sight, but who knows how many chapters it will take to get there.

What is your favourite cake?

Coffee and Walnut.

A great choice Karina! Now, you can connect with Karina in lots, and lots, of different places:

http://bit.ly/FBFPKK - FB fan page

http://bit.ly/INSTKK - Instagram

http://bit.ly/TwittKK - Twitter

http://bit.ly/BLOGKK - Website

http://bit.ly/KKGRE - Goodreads

http://bit.ly/IRFBPAGE - Illusional Reality FB page

http://bit.ly/FBMCSERIES - OUTLAW MC series

http://bit.ly/AOMCA - Authors of MC Anarchy group

http://bit.ly/KarinaKantas Amazon author page

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6c_j1bUSvYHj4OqJw-YR-Q?view_as=subscriber YouTube

http://eepurl.com/daKief Newsletter sign up

https://www.wattpad.com/story/202038824-broken-chains-wip Wattpad

Join me next week when I have a slice of cake with Lee Garrett.

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

New Release - Little Book of Autumn

Even though the sun isn't keen on relinquishing it's grip here in the UK, officially we are in our first autumnal month. I am delighted to release Little Book of Autumn, the seventh book in the Little Book poetry collection. 

The Blurb:

Autumn is a poetic marvel - all those beautiful colour changes, the weather morphing from summer to winter and a sense of an ending approaching. Join Claire Buss on this seasonal journey through pumpkin spice and crunchy leaves, hibernating hedgehogs and hot chocolate by the bonfire. Take a moment to appreciate the warmth of fall with this collection of twenty-five autumnal poems.

I will be sharing a couple of poems on my Little Book of Verse Facebook page so be sure to check them out and get a taste of these new poems. 

The other books in the series are Little Book of Verse, Little Book of Spring, Little Book of Summer, Spooky Little Book, Little Book of Winter and Little Book of Love. All the Little Book poetry books are available in paperback and ebook on Amazon. 

They are also available in other ebook formats at Smashwords, Kobo, Nook (Barnes & Noble), Apple Books and Google Books.

As always, if you read one of my books - please write a review on Amazon and Goodreads (if you have it). It means so much and it helps other readers find my books. 

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

A Slice of Cake With... M.L. Tishner

This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with author M.L. Tishner. 

Mari is a half-Peruvian, half-American hobbit and pug owner who was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana where she grew up writing Sailor Moon/Gundam Wing fanfiction. She studied biology and Spanish at Indiana University where she decided to revive an old space opera she wrote in her high school years.

A native Hoosier, Mari now lives in southern Germany where she entertains people with her adventures as an American ex-pat in the Land of Beer and Pretzels on her blog adventuresoflamari.com and YouTube Channel as well as making sure the world knows her pugs, Abner and Roxy, exists. When she’s not writing, Mari cooks, snowboards, dances to the beat of her own drum, reads late into the night, and binge watches a good story unfold on Netflix with her husband. The God Queen is her debut novel.

What kind of stories do you write?

I write stories with magic and space ships but I focus on people and their identities and how it’s tied to family and destiny.

Can you describe your writing why?

When I first wrote about my heroine, Rei, I was thirteen years old and in love with both Sailor Moon and Star Wars and I wanted more adventures like it and couldn’t find enough to satisfy my need. So I grabbed a pen and a notebook and decided to write it myself.

Now in my thirties - I write because it’s a need that comes from somewhere deep inside. I get antsy when I can’t write. I am addicted to delving deeper into the world I have created and finding what stories come from it.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

I adore writing Bronx and Rei together - I always get excited when they’re in the same room:

Bronx scratched his chin, already coated with stubble. “He was a great teacher. I learned a lot from him, and we became close. Nik would often talk about you.”

“He did?” she said quietly.

“Yeah. I was the only one who knew about you, the only person he could talk to. He really missed you. He had this photo of you with pigtails and you were missing your two front teeth.”

Rei made a face. “Ugh. I hated that photo.”

“I thought it was cute. But I must admit, when you first arrived, I half expected you to still have pigtails.”

“I only wear pigtails on special occasions.” She smirked.

“Like weddings?”

“And baptisms.” She took a sip of her tea.

He raised an eyebrow. “Our second date?”

She choked as she laughed. She met his eyes and found them earnest. Her breath ceased completely for a moment, then she raised her mug. “By your logic, wouldn’t this count as a second date?”

He laughed. She loved the sound of it. “You caught me, Miss Ettowa. Third, then?”

Her stomach fluttered as she caught the playfulness in his voice. “Just so you know, Mr. Manca, I will be expecting more than whispers and tea for our third.”

“Then I vow to redouble my efforts.” He winked.

Rei giggled once she caught her breath. She liked him. She really liked him. Every moment she spent with him left her only wanting more. “I can imagine how well you and Niko got along. You both like to pretend you’re witty.”

“Pretend? Ouch.” He put a hand to his chest, a smile still on his face. “Right in the ego.”

“I can tell Niko rubbed off on you. He said the same thing to me once.” She threw her own hand to her chest. “Oh, betrayed by my sweet baby sister.” She barely contained her laughter as she tried to imitate her brother’s deep voice. “So dramatic.”

Tell us about your latest project

I am working on the sequel to my debut The God Queen. The novel is called The Last Imperator and continues the adventures of Rei and the other “gods” as they try to stave civil war that is brewing in the star cluster.

What is your favourite cake?

Black Forest… more specifically the one my mother-in-law makes (she’s German).

A very popular cake choice! You can connect with M.L. Tishner here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mltishner 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mltishner/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mltishner

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mltishner

Join me next week when I have a slice of cake with Karina Kantas.

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

Upcoming Events - September 2020

I have two online events this week with Pen to Print as part of ReadFest:

ReadFest: Digital Storytelling

Join author Claire Buss for a Digital Storytelling Book Surgery.

Using Digital Storytelling: In March 2020, the coronavirus changed everything, and the UK locked down. This had a massive impact on everybody and gave a huge boost to technology. You've all used new apps, software and methods of communicating with work and loved ones.

One of the unique things that came out of the pandemic was our ability to tell stories digitally as well as a huge appetite for these stories, be it social media, dance riffs or favourite actors reading from favourite books. Claire’s Book Surgery will look at how authors can use these digital storytelling methods in their creation and promotion of novels as well as how we can effectively write technology into our books, without it being clunky or distracting.

Claire Buss is the author of The Gaia Effect, the first book published through the Pen to Print initiative.

Once you have signed up for this session you will receive an email confirmation containing instructions and guidance on how to set up and join the live session on Microsoft Teams. You will also receive a unique code to gain access to workshop activities on Google Classroom.

Booking is essential. Pen to Print and our partners reserve the right to remove participants who are found not to have booked a place for this session.

Pen to Print and our partners reserve the right to remove participants who are disruptive to a session.

To ensure you don't miss out on the latest updates, please sign up to our e-newsletter.

ReadFest: Write On! Magazine - Passing It Forward Day

Write On! Magazine was born in June 2019, co-created by a team of writing volunteers, and published by Pen to Print. The volunteers bring a wealth of experience, with backgrounds in magazine publication and editing. Some are also authors and poets in their own right.

Bringing together all this creative talent lead to produce Write On! a writing publication full of interviews, articles, and helpful tips to like-minded writers.

As part of ReadFest, we're going to write the longest poem in Barking and Dagenham. Poet and Write on! page editor, Eithne Cullen, will be collecting rhyming couplets to compose the longest poem in LBBD. Write about your writing or your reading or your love of the library...Here's an example: I tire of writing poems and rhyme...

Join the team LIVE:

10.30am-11am: What Makes a Magazine? Editor, Madeleine White introduces Write On! Magazine and gives an insight to the magazine world.

11am-11.30am: Finding your Voice with Farzana Hakim. Welcoming writers of all cultures to explore and talk about what matters to them as an individual and, how to find a voice through writing, creating access to authors to feel empowered.

11.30am-12pm: Writing to a Theme with Claire Buss. A theme in writing is the underlying idea behind an article or story. Deputy Editor, Claire, hosts an insight on writing to a theme adding a few hints and tips along the way.

12pm- 12.20pm: Time Lapse Illustration with Emmanuel Oreyeni. Emmanuel from Oreyeni Arts shows how to create a time-lapse illustration.

12.20pm – 12.45pm: Write On! Magazine and Write On! Extra Screen Presentation

12.45pm-1.15pm: L M Towton – Writing partnerships and Sunday Interviews. Pen to Print Book Challenge 2015 finalists and PRH WriteNow 2018 participants, L.M. Towton (Lauren Towers and Michelle Sutton) talk about being a writing partnership and how they work together despite the 139-mile distance between them (and still stay friends). Join them as they discuss Google Drive, ProWritingAid, internet issues and an apparent shared brain. As well as an introduction and overview of Write On!’s regular Sunday interviews.

1.15pm -2.00pm: Write On! Magazine: Meet the Team: Hosted by Daily Editor Holly who gives us a behind the scenes view to Write On! Extra, join the Daily Editors Discussion and Ask a Question to the Write On! Magazine Team.

2.00pm- 2.30 pm: An Introduction to Showcase & Editing your Submissions with Dan Cross. Dan Cross, associate editor of Write On!, will explain why self-editing your creative writing is important and share his tips for doing so. Dan is a novelist, so his expertise is with prose. But most of his advice applies to non-fiction, short story, and poetry writing, as well. Additionally, Dan will discuss the most common errors he encounters as an editor; why some popular editing tips on the internet do not apply to creative writing; and what he looks for in a submission to Write On!

2.30pm-3pm: Eithne Cullen - The longest poem in Barking and Dagenham. Eithne will be talking about what it's like to be a daily editor and how to get involved in the writing community. We are aiming to write the longest poem in Barking and Dagenham. Poet and Write on! page editor, Eithne Cullen, will be collecting rhyming couplets to compose the longest poem in LBBD which will be published online and in the next edition of Write On!

Click here for Write On! Magazines issues 1 to 5.

Please note this event will be recorded throughout the day.

Once you have signed up for this session you will receive an email confirmation containing instructions and guidance on how to set up and join the live session.

Booking is essential. Pen to Print and our partners reserve the right to remove participants who are found not to have booked a place for this session.

Pen to Print and our partners reserve the right to remove participants who are disruptive to a session.

To ensure you don't miss out on the latest updates, please sign up to our e-newsletter

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

An Extra Slice of Cake With... Rob Edwards

This week I am delighted to welcome author Rob Edwards back to my blog for an extra slice.

Rob Edwards is a British born writer and podcaster, living in Finland.  His podcast, StorycastRob, features readings from his short stories and excerpts from longer work.  His work can also be found in anthologies from Inklings Press and Rivenstone Press.

His greatest geek pride is his entry on wookieepedia, the result of writing several Star Wars RPG scenarios back in the day.

Describe the types of books you love to read

Oh, that’s a tough one off the bat. I think I have reasonably eclectic tastes. Most of what I read falls broadly within the scifi/fantasy genre space, some epic fantasy or quirky scifi romp for preference, but I do love a classy murder mystery too. And comic books, I read a lot of them, as anyone who reads my new book can probably tell.

Which authors inspire you to write?

There are plenty of authors who inspire me to be a better writer. My latest book is definitely me being inspired by Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan books, with perhaps just a hint of Harry Harrison’s Stainless Steel Rat books -- I’ve not read them in decades, but the vibe of this story definitely owes something to it. Then add some favourite comic book runs from the likes of Mark Waid, Keith Giffen and Gail Simone. 

But, technically, you didn’t ask who inspires me to write more betterer, but who inspires me to write. To answer that, let me tell you a story.

In my youth I devoured books voraciously. These days I tend more to sip and savour, but in my youth, I read and read and read. Some of the books I encountered were magnificent gems, some were fluff with wonderfully ridiculous titles (Kent Montana and the Reasonably Invisible Man!) but some were absolute tosh. There is one series of books, I forget their name, and who they were by, even, although I do remember that the author was moderately well known. When I read them, I found myself thinking, “This got published? I can do better than that”. And that unknown known author who had managed to get a book deal… they inspired me to write.

(Full confession, I’ve done some digging, and I think I found the book I was thinking of… but I shall keep the name to myself because (a) I might be wrong and (b) I don’t wish to be mean)

If you’re looking for an answer with a little less shade, I can’t not mention my buddies at Inklings Press: Brent A Harris, Ricardo Victoria and Leo McBride. From the comic book side Matt Hardy at Mad Robot Comics. They all push me onwards with this and other projects.

Since we last had a slice of cake, what have you been working on?

I’ve been keeping busy. The latest Inklings Press anthology took way longer to come together than we’d intended (I don’t know if anyone else noticed, but 2020 has been a bit stressful), but it’s here now, check out Tales from the Pirate’s Cove for twelve piratical tales.

But, excited though I am by the Pirate book (it is excellent), I confess to being just a little but more excited about my debut novel hitting the shelves. It’s called The Ascension Machine and it’s book one in a sci-fi superhero series.

What is your next project?

Next up is the sequel to The Ascension Machine, which will be called The Crossover Paradox. The first draft is well underway, already about halfway done, so I’m hoping that can follow along reasonably sharpish after book one. The protagonist did a lot of growing in book one… now he must deal with how much life has changed for him. Also, there’s a murder and super-villains.

Meanwhile, if you want to read more about the world of The Ascension Machine and The Crossover Paradox, be sure to stop by http://storycastrob.co.uk/JusticeAcademy/ to get some background.

Have you recently tried any new cake? What was the last cake you baked?

I did have a brief flurry of baking during lockdown. I tried a few attempts at a walnut cake following my mum’s recipe. Alas, Finland doesn’t have self-raising flour, and while several people have told me what to add if I’m using plain flour, I’ve never worked out the Finnish to properly identify those ingredients. So, it’s probably more accurate to say I baked a walnut biscuit using my mum’s recipe for walnut cake.

It still tasted nice, I thought.

You can connect with Rob across a vast array of social media:

https://twitter.com/StorycastRob

https://www.facebook.com/StorycastRob/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzGgNHQBOs6pd4p5Av29rVQ

Check out the podcast at http://storycastrob.co.uk/

And my blog at http://storycastrob.co.uk/JusticeAcademy/blog/

Join me next week when I interview Mari Tishner. If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

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Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

Tuesday poem - Falling Into Fall

September yawned and we all fell in
The evenings grew longer and darker
And winter blew from afar, chilling the weather
The sun decided to rest a while
And cardigans were pulled from bottom drawers
Autumn is upon us, marching on regardless
We spent too long on the beach
And tripped over our buckets and spades
Now we fall into hot chocolates and fingerless gloves
The start of a new year of school and learning
Shiny shoes and smart uniforms
Brand new lunchboxes
All the little children falling into lessons
With not too much grumbling…
We’re falling out of love with salads
And plumping for pies, stews and roasts
Not forgetting crumble and custard
Falling into bad habits of curling up on the sofa
No more early morning runs
And one more biscuit from the tin
Fireworks, bonfires, sticky toffee apples
Crunchy leaves and rain, pumpkin spice everything
We’re falling into fall

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.