Hi Joe! Would you tell us about yourself?
Joe:
I’ve loved science fiction and fantasy from the time I learned to read. My hobbies, besides writing, are traveling, adventure game playing and do-it-yourself projects. Several short stories of mine have been published in E-zines. Two series of paranormal fantasy novels of mine, called The Morgaine Chronicles and Raven Lenore, Psychic Investigator, have been published by Renaissance E Books. For most of my working life, I was a technical writer for a major computer firm. I learned many things there about computers, about writing and about people and corporations. I lived the Dilbert cartoon. Because of my work, my wife and I moved to a small town in upstate New York where the manufacturing plant was located. In 1993, I retired. That’s when my fiction writing career really started. First I sold a few short stories to E-zines. (I use “sold” loosely. I seldom received a paycheck.) Then I sold a novel to a POD publisher and another to an E-book publisher. The pay is meager, but I enjoy writing so much that I’d probably do it even if they paid nothing (which is the standard with most E-zines ). Don’t tell my publisher this.
What is one of your favorite things about writing?
Joe: The fun of making up characters and situations.
You have lots of science fiction, dark fantasy and paranormal titles. What attracts you to these genres?
Joe: : I believe my love of reading stems from my parents and grandparents, who were all avid readers. As a child, one of my favorite things was hanging out at the library or browsing in flea markets for books I could afford. One day my parents took me to see a most wondrous movie, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It made me a believer. From that time on, I read every Oz book I could get my hands on. I also loved comic books, especially the ones in the SF genre, Planet Comics, Superman, Captain Marvel, etc. I also liked mathematics and science, especially astronomy.
When I was twelve or so, I discovered the pulp magazines. They had garish covers and were printed on blotting paper, but the insides were marvelous. Even the letter columns were interesting. In these magazines, and the slicks and paperbacks that followed a few years later, I learned to love such writers as Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Robert Silverberg and so many others. About that time I decided I wanted to write in the genre, but never got started until many years later.
Would you tell us about your latest release?
Joe: It’s called Charles Winterbottom and the Eye on the Pyramid. Winterbottom is a notorious archeologist (sort of like Indiana Jones) famous for his narrow escapes, daring-do adventures and escapades with beautiful women. He is tall and rangy, handsome in a rugged manner and always wears a sloppy wide brim hat. He is also a bungler and depends upon luck to get himself out of the fixes he gets himself into. Eye on the Pyramid is the second in the series that started with Charles Winterbottom and Dinner With Dracula.
What are you working on now?
Joe: A third humorous novel in the Charles Winterbottom series. I call it Charles Winterbottom and The Ring of Power. In it Charley and his pals try to recover Sauron’s powerful magic ring.
When you’re brainstorming for a new story, what usually comes first for you, the plot or the characters?
Joe: The characters definitely. I usually start with a concept, figure out what sort of characters would fit it and determine how they would go about solving the dilemma or going about doing whatever the plot idea requires.
Do you have an excerpt or link to an excerpt from your latest release to share?
Joe:
Thursday evening was poker night. Once a week, Charles Winterbottom would get together with his fellow archeologists for a friendly game of ten-dollar-limit seven-card stud. Since the players were meeting at his apartment that particular evening, Charles felt lucky because his hot, but witless, blonde girl friend, Honey Bunn would be present. He considered her and his floppy wide brim leather hat good luck charms.
Everything was ready. He had purchased four brand new packs of cards, vacuumed the apartment including the felt on the poker table, stocked the refrigerator with dark beer and had on hand plenty of pretzels and potato chips. He donned a newly acquired black suit and a string tie, which made feel as though he was the consummate riverboat gambler.
He smashed his hat on his head and stood admiring the affect in the mirror. “What do you think, Honey? Don’t I look snazzy in my new digs?”
She snuggled up to him. “Oh, my darling, you’re so amazing in that outfit. Are you going to win us lots of money tonight?”
“Of course, my dear. How can I lose with you by my side?”
Moments later someone knocked on their door. “Who is it?” asked Honey Bunn.
“It’s Heinrich, sweet thing.”
Honey hurried to open the door. Smiling up at her was short balding Doctor Heinrich Schmidt. Behind him stood his servant, Jeeves. Jeeves was an android.
Honey kissed Heinrich on his bald head. “Please come in, Heiny … and you too, Jeeves.”
After the pair entered, Jeeves went directly to the poker table and sat down. It said, “Let us get the game started as quickly as possible. I am anxious to take your money.”
Charlie shook Heinrich’s hand. “Welcome Heiny, to my humble abode. Your boy must feel lucky tonight.”
Jeeves glared at him. “I’m not a boy and can speak for myself. Luck has nothing to do with it. I’m an expert in poker just as I’m an expert in whatever I do. It is all a matter of downloading the proper software.”
Heiny said, “And you keep me broke with all those online purchases. I don’t know why I keep you around.”
Honey said, “Now, now, gentlemen. You mustn’t quarrel. Poker night should be a fun night.”
“You are quite correct, sweet thing. It would be even more fun if you would join us in a game of strip poker.”
She giggled deliciously. “Oh Heiny, you say the naughtiest things.”
This flirtatious banter was interrupted by the arrival of Professor Boris Ambitchev. Boris was a stern looking man with bushy eyebrows, a well-trimmed beard and thinning hair and a trace of a Balkan accent. He was reputed to be a genius. He claimed that he gained his intelligence by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Most took this as being a metaphor for studying hard. In truth, he meant it literately. He had bitten into that particular succulent fruit when he and Winterbottom had explored the garden of Eden.
His host glanced at his watch. “I’m surprised that Aaron isn’t here yet. He’s usually very punctual. Being involved with time travel, he’s extremely aware of the passage of time.”
The Aaron he referred to was Doctor Aaron Gamostein, the Noble prize winning physicist who discovered the chronoton and who had built a time machine which with he had sent Winterbottom back in time to the Greece of Alexander the Great.
Winterbottom’s cell phone began to play The Wanderer. “Hello. Aaron? You won’t? Okay. We’ll miss you. Good bye.”
“That was Aaron. He won’t be able to make it tonight. Some sort of crisis at his laboratory.”
Jeeves said, “In that case, let us get started.”
“Might as well.”
The men took seats around the table. Honey Bunn brought out chips, pretzels and ashtrays and served each man a bottle of beer. She sat between Charles and Heinrich.
As the men and the android played, they conversed, except for Jeeves, who was silent unless someone directed something to it or to place a bet or show his hand. The men mostly spoke about their adventures in the field as archeologists. Heinrich also had a host of bawdy jokes that he told as well as any standup comedian. Honey Bunn giggled loudly at each punch line.
After had the evening progressed a while, before Heinrich threw a dollar bill into middle of the table to place a bet, he told the following joke: “A man went into a bar and noticed that when other men gave money to the bartender, a fine looking young woman would be brought out for him. The couple would then go upstairs. The man asked the man next to him, ‘What’s the deal? How come when those guys gave the bartender money, he brought out a woman for them?’ His neighbor said, ‘It’s the way they fold the dollar bill they gave him.’ He showed the man how to fold the bill.”
Heinrich folded the dollar he had in his hand. He showed it to Honey Bunn. She giggled so hard that she had to hold on to him to keep from falling out of her chair. “That’s amazing, Heiny. I love it.”
Charlie was getting more and morose, not only was he losing at poker, but Honey Bunn was paying more attention to Heiny than him. “Let me see that.”
Heinrich handed him the folded bill and pointed to the area where, due to the way the dollar was folded, the words, “gal tender and private” appeared.
“Ha, ha,” laughed Charlie not very enthusiastically.
The bill was passed all around the table. Jeeves was amused but complained that the game was being held up. Boris made no comment and handed the dollar back to Heinrich, who threw it into the pot. Two deals later, he won his dollar back as well as several others.
“You know,” said Boris in his ponderous way, “there’s much archaic symbolism on a dollar bill. Many believe that either the Masons or the Illuminati had a lot to do with that. One side of the Great Seal shows an ancient Egyptian pyramid, beneath a triangle that contains a glowing eye.
Your science fiction book, The Bagod, sounds very interesting. What three words best describe the hero, Joe Herman?
Joe: Normal regular guy.
Would you tell us about your Raven Lenore, Psychic Investigator series?
Joe: Of all the characters that I’ve created, my favorite is Raven Lenore. She got her start in the third book of my Morgaine the Demon-Witch series. She had a major role in several of the later Morgaine books as well. Finally, I decided to give her a series of her own, which I call Raven Lenore, Psychic Investigator.
Raven Lenore is a Wiccan, has psychic abilities and a tough side. She is twenty-seven years old, attractive with dark hair and olive skin. To her, witchcraft is an earth religion, a linking of the human soul with the life force of nature, both on this planet and in the stars and space beyond. She meets with her coven periodically to raise her energy and commune with natural forces. She honors the old goddesses and gods as symbols of immanent nature.
In the novels she called upon to solve case involved with the occult.
Where can we visit you online?
Joe: http://papajoesfantasticworld.com
Thank you for being a guest, Joe!
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