Today is the Kick Off for the HIVE Virtual Book Tour!
For centuries the Hive has waged a secret war, pitting psychic powers against the monstrous appetites of the Silencers. Now its visionary leader has an ambitious plan to tip the balance, and the conflict threatens to boil over onto the streets of modern dayLondon.
Nineteen-year-old Luke is thrust into the conflict when he foils an assassination attempt on the charismatic Dr. Jean-Paul Lysayer, a world renowned expert on telepathy. Down on his luck, and torn between an old flame and blossoming desire, the last thing Luke needs is to be used as a pawn in the eternal conflict.
But the Hive needs Luke's unique abilities, and when he uncovers evidence of a conspiracy it will take all his street-smarts to stay alive long enough to separate friend from foe.
Marc started writing as a teenager, and has always been obsessed with science fiction and fantasy. He has a soft spot for books with fast plots, unusual characters and twisted humor. The more unusual, the better. He predominantly reads sci-fi and fantasy, depending on mood.
Marc is an active member of several writers groups, including the Online Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, and maintains a blog at www.marcdavies.net. He lives in an old house owned by a Golden Retriever and a Labrador, with a mountain of books, an impressive collection of half-finished wine bottles, and the occasional ball of drifting dog hair.
Contact Information
Reading Addiction Blog Tours MEET and
GREET
#1 – Do You See Writing as a Career?
Yes and no.
Ever since I was 12 years old, I dreamed of being a
writer. But here I am already 33 years old
and only now making my debut release.
So what took me so long?
Reality has a way of scuttling childhood dreams; a guy has to find a way
to pay the bills, after all. Being an
impoverished writer sounds romantic, but living off packet pasta at college was
enough to cure me of that delusion.
Plus, I like good food and wine too much.
So for now I have another career which keeps me busy, and
there’s just not enough time to have two careers at once. But my ultimate goal is to switch to writing
as a career one day. It’s going to take
time, but I’m in no rush.
#2 – What was the Hardest Part of Your Writing Process?
The hardest part was accepting that I needed help. I’m a very headstrong person, and I tend to
believe that I can do everything myself without help from others. Usually that’s true, but sometimes it makes me
fail spectacularly.
Writing was one of those ‘fail’ times. I stubbornly went through two drafts of different
novels before I accepted that I needed help from people who knew what they were
doing. Help on structure, help on prose,
help on plot. In fact, help on just
about everything.
Once I accepted that, things became comparatively easy.
#3 – Did you have any One Person Who Helped You Out with
Your Writing Outside of Your Family?
Yes! I joined up to
the Online Writing Workshop for SF, Fantasy and Horror. It’s an online writing group with hundreds of
members who help review each other’s work, and has graduated a number of
excellent, best-selling writers.
That was where I really cut my teeth on writing, and I can’t
recommend it enough. A handful of people
there helped me hone my skills, and I’ll always be grateful to them.
A word of caution, however.
One of the most important things about being a writer is learning when
not to accept advice. A lot of people,
including other writers, will give advice which is wrong. Being able to accept criticism, while at the
same time trusting your instincts, is one of the most important skills a writer
can have.
#4 – What is next for your writing?
I’ve just finished the sequel to HIVE, which will go through
a month or so of editing before it can be submitted to my publisher. Then I need to write the third and final book
in the series. I already know it’s going
to be a very exciting conclusion to the series with lots of surprises for the
reader.
Once that’s done, I have some ideas for a couple of standalone
novels set in fantasy worlds. I think
I’ll steer clear of series for a while; they require a lot of commitment. And stand alone novels allow a writer to try
something new for a while without losing too much if it doesn’t work.
#5 – Do you have an addiction to reading as well as writing?
If so, what are you currently reading?
I love reading for relaxation. I tend to stick to sci-fi or fantasy, but I
also read political biographies, satire and current events.
At the moment I’m reading Best Served Cold by Joe
Abercrombie, a fantasy novel. I like it
because Abercrombie has a deliciously wicked sense of humor. The more twisted the book, the more likely I
am to read it.
This or That?
#1 - iPd or Mp3?
I’ve been enslaved to Apple products ever since I bought my
first iPod. I’d love to change, but
technology is frustrating enough without making more work for myself. I have an Apple TV which rarely works, and an
iPhone which has a busted speaker. Sometimes
I really do consider going back to the simple days of radio and a
typewriter. At least if you make a bad
keystroke, you know it’s only your own fault.
One of my biggest problems with Apple is that the prices on
iTunes are just about high enough to make me weep (especially here in
Australia). I refuse to download
illegally, but that just means I end up paying through the nose to have things
distributed here. If someone can explain
to me in words that make sense why companies are justified in charging 100%
more to distribute products over the internet to Australia, I’ll give them a
free book.
#2 – Chocolate or Vanilla?
Both! Vanilla ice
cream with a warm chocolate brownie.
Heaven.
#3 – Mashed Potatoes or French Fries?
Too hard to choose.
I’d love to eat French fries most of the time, but then I would feel too
guilty to actually eat them. A moment on
the lips, a lifetime on the hips.
Now I’m feeling guilty for that salted caramel cheesecake I
ate last night.
#4 – Comedy or Drama?
I would usually choose drama, especially if I can find drama
with fantasy or sci-fi elements. My
sense of humor borders on wacky, so it’s rare that I find something weird
enough to make me laugh. Think Mighty
Boosh, Monty Python or Borat.
#5 – Danielle Steel or Nicholas Sparks?
Danielle Steel. I
tend to find her books to be lighter and more camp.
#6 – Fantasy or Reality?
Definitely fantasy.
I’ve had enough of reality. Get
me out of here!
#7 – Call or Text?
I think most writers tend to be a bit introverted and
anti-social. You need that kind of
personality to survive countless hours alone in front of a computer
screen. I’d like to say that I would
call someone if I wanted to contact them, but reality is I’d probably text them
instead.
#8 – Public School or Home School
I don’t have children, so I can’t speak from personal
experience. However, I would be
concerned that if I home schooled my children that they would miss out on
something. It’s a rare person who is
knowledgeable and talented in a wide enough array of subjects that they can
confidently teach a child everything they need to know to function as an adult
in this world. That’s best left to the
experts in my view. And socializing with
other children is such an important part of school.
#9 – Coffee or Hot Chocolate
Give me caffeine, NOW!
#10 – eBook or Paperback?
Both. I still like to
hold a physical book in my hands, but nothing beats the convenience of being
able to download a book I want without having to go to the store.
Other factors also come into play here in Australia,
too. Our prices are outrageously
inflated, with paperback books starting at $22.00 in the store. I value the product enough to pay that much,
but if I can download it from Amazon for one quarter of the price without cheating
the author of royalties, then that’s what I’d prefer to do.
GIVEAWAY
Follow Along With This Tour:
September 16 - What's on the Bookshelf - Review/Guest Post
September 17 - Bibliophilia, Please - Interview/Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO
September 18 - For the Love of Film and Novels - Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt/PROMO
September 18 - Literary Getaway - PROMO
September 19 - My Reading Addiction - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
September 20 - Cozie Corner - Review/Giveaway
September 24 - Books Down My Pillow - Review/Excerpt/Giveaway
September 25 - How I See It - Review/Guest Post
September 26 - My Seryniti - Giveaway/Excerpt/PROMO
September 27 - Reader Girls - Review/Interview/Giveaway
September 28 - Up All Night Reviews - Review/Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt
Great post! I really want to read HIVE!
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