Blog Hop: Pass the Stick

Blog hop introduces writers and gives a glimpse of their work and style. I was tagged for this Blog Hop by writer Henry Martin - here's his introduction (to find out more about Martin's work, check previous blog posts where I wrote a review of his literary work). 

When he's not buried elbow-deep in some greasy motorcycle project, Henry Martin enjoys reading quality literature and writing prose and poetry of varying coherency. He finds inspiration in conquering the open road while trying to outrun some of the characters he created in the past. He lives with his family in the Northeast, surrounded by coyotes, foxes, and bears.

Martin contributes faithfully to several Goodreads discussions and is also a moderator in several groups discussing literary fiction.
To find out more about him and his work, visit:
Goodreads author page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6583769.Henry_Martin?from_search=true
Blog: http://mad-days-of-me.blogspot.com
Amazon author page:
http://www.amazon.com/Henry-Martin/e/B001JCCFNI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1402527316&sr=8-1



Now, here are my answers to the blog hop questions:

What am I working on?
I'm on a development phase right now. I've started several projects but have not yet found the one that makes me passionate to continue, so I'm searching and researching, reading and writing reviews and looking for what's out there in the indie world.

How does my work differ from others in the genre?
This is a tough question because I have currently two published works. A novel and a poetry collection. The novel has been classified as literary fiction by several readers and editors, although when I wrote it, I had no specific genre in mind and was not worried about the classification. My poetry is mainly free verse, and encompasses different themes - there's love poems, life poems, dark poems and so on.

Why do I write what I write?
I write what I feel like writing, not thinking necessarily about a specific audience. It has to come from my heart, from an inner desire to create something and make the characters alive, to the point that I'm just a scribe, not a creator, the characters take possession of their own life and fate, that's how I wrote the novel. As for the poetry, I write from the heart, mostly derived from a sensation, a feeling, or an experience.

How does my writing process work?

I don't have a specific routine for my writing process. I have to be inspired and motivated to sit and create and let the characters move and invent their own fate and circumstances. I can't think of the whole story and do an outline. Usually, I have a firm idea of either the beginning or the end, and the means to get there will be up to the development of the plot, as it goes.


Introducing :

Daniel Wetta:

Daniel Wetta is a retired Certified Public Accountant who spent most of his career in the health care field. For twenty years he was the CFO and then CEO of a Virginia hospital and nursing home in a large healthcare company. He wrote short stories as a young man, and at the College of William and Mary, he really learned to write. He is a life-long lover of Corvettes, Las Vegas, and living on the edge. He is in love with his family, and he is passionate about United States and Mexican history, the Spanish language, and using social media.

http://danielwetta.com/authorsblog/
https://www.facebook.com/wettabooks
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7107413.Daniel_Wetta?from_search=true
http://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Wetta/e/B00CWQLRPC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1402528679&sr=8-1


Pamela Fagan Hutchins:

Pamela Fagan Hutchins writes award-winning and bestselling romantic mysteries and hilarious nonfiction, and moonlights as a workplace investigator and employment attorney. She is passionate about great writing, smart authorpreneurship, and her two household hunks, husband Eric and one-eyed Boston terrier Petey. She also leaps medium-tall buildings in a single bound, if she gets a good running start.

https://www.facebook.com/pamela.fagan.hutchins.author
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/682431.Pamela_Fagan_Hutchins?from_search=true
http://pamelahutchins.com/road-to-joy-blog/
http://www.amazon.com/Pamela-Fagan-Hutchins/e/B007UII1T2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1402530137&sr=1-1

Books: New Indie book reviews - Henry Martin and Eric L. Olson

A couple of blog posts ago, during the author interview with Henry Martin, I mentioned I was reading his first book and would later post a review. Here you will find not only his first book's review, but also the second installment of his Mad Days of Me trilogy's review. For those who like literary fiction, Martin is a great Indie writer. And I'm also adding a review of Eric L. Olson's historical fiction book, "Dance of the Berserkers". Be adventurous and pick up one of these Indie books - all available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback versions.

 
Mad Days of Me: Escaping Barcelona (Henry Martin)

Where have you seen Rudy before? You wonder, while reading Escaping Barcelona. You've seen Rudy walking around aimlessly in the plazas and train stations and dark alleys of every big city. A lost, homeless, dirty young man, suspiciously provoking feelings of disgust, distrust and even fear from the passersby. The invisible scum of society, the runaway, the bum. But that's all there is for the eyes to see. What no one sees, is a tortured soul, a man in search of his destiny, questioning rules, normalcy and desperately trying to find meaning in all of it.

In Escaping Barcelona, we find a traveler - not totally comparable to the traveler in Damon Galgut's "In a Strange Room", but nonetheless possessing the same unsettling feelings when one is restless to leave, searching for what can't be found at home, and, not knowing what to expect, finding misery, horrors, the disdain of society and the cruel madness of a life without boundaries.

Interesting read, food for thought, creative and fast paced, with vivid descriptions of the city of Barcelona. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy to find out Rudy's redemption.

 
Mad Days of Me: Finding Eivissa (Henry Martin)

This food for thought second installment in the Mad Days of Me trilogy is hard to put down. Rudy, the main character, finds hope once again, despite his unfortunate circumstances. He becomes more likeable, and because of love, his faith in humanity is somewhat restored. However, it doesn't come easy and he still has many challenges to overcome. His yearning for "normalcy" and routine sees him accepting a bizarre situation, with a woman whose past continues to haunt hear and threaten their new-found promising relationship.

Rudy's narrative reads almost like a journal, where he rambles philosophically about his emotions, feelings and uncertainties. Vivid descriptions of the island of Ibiza also transport the reader to a utopic paradise, and the cliff-hanging ending leaves you longing for more. Literary fiction at its best.

 
Dance of the Berserkers (Eric L. Olson)

This is a great novel by a new author, and worth reading! Especially for those who love historical fiction, since it seems the author did a lot of research. The beginning of the book stirs interesting right away, however it takes a couple of chapters to understand and start to identify all the characters in the story (mostly, for me, because a lot of their names end in "bjorn" - which became a little convoluted until I sorted out who was who).

Overall, it was a fast paced, well detailed story. I thought the "glossary" at the end for the readers to do their own research of the characters was a plus for history lovers. I would recommend this book for YA and older who love myths and history.

Books: Interview with Author Henry Martin - literary fiction

I met author Henry Martin through GoodReads, and have been thoroughly enjoying his posting contributions to several of the threads in the communities there. So, I'm really excited to post his interview today. When I interviewed Henry, I hadn't read his work yet - however, I just finished reading his first novel. I will get a review out in the next blog post. In the meantime, get to know Henry a little bit - and enjoy what this inspiring writer has to say!

Henry, it's a pleasure to host you here. Tell us, where are you from and what is your background?

Despite calling New Hampshire my home, I consider myself a cosmopolitan. I was fortunate to experience life in a few different countries, but I have to keep some mystery. So, instead of being specific, I'll confuse your readers with a paragraph from one of my short stories:

I am a nomad, a cosmopolitan, a citizen of the universe. No matter where I go, I always stand out; out of place, a misfit, an eccentric oddity. My voice both hoarse and soothing, a mixture of tones and melodies. An intriguing mixture of accents spanning halfway across the globe, from the Back Bay towers of Boston, through New Hampshire’s pristine wilderness to the coast of Spain, taking a few occasional stops in several European countries. A sound so pleasing and annoying at the same time, that it can only be compared to the buzzing of a hummingbird’s wings amidst the rambling of bulldozers’ engines in the Amazon rainforest. If you sprinkle it with a few drops of saffron, I may sound Indian; yet, on a humid night, after a glass of Pampero I might be easily confused for a South American. A wild night of Vodka drinking converts me into a Russian, and when a Flamenco dancer arouses my imagination, I may come across as a Spanish gypsy. During a storm, when the sky is heavy with water like the breasts of a nursing mother are with milk, I acquire the sound of an electric eel, spinning in the coarse sand underneath a tidal wave. The world is my cradle, its languages my lullabies. 

That sounds indeed very cosmopolitan. A little mysterious. And how many books have you written? What do you consider to be your target audience?

At this point my main work consists of the books Escaping Barcelona, Finding Eivissa, and Eluding Reality, which make the Mad Days of Me, trilogy. I also have a collection of short stories, Coffee, Cigarettes, and Murderous Thoughts, and a collection of avant-garde poetry, The Silence Before Dawn.

My target audience would be the reader who is looking for a thought-provoking story, not merely entertainment.

 

Your book "Escaping Barcelona" has a quote that I really like: “Silence—people are afraid of it—they feel the need to make small talk, anything, just to break the stillness. I don’t feel any such need. To me, silence brings about peace and certitude.” Does this quote, in any way, mirror your own feelings (past or present)?

When Rudy, the protagonist, says that, he is referring to the uncomfortable silence between two people, to a situation many will try to avoid by engaging in a needless chatter.

As for my personal feelings about silence - I embrace silence whenever possible. Our world is so full of clamor that we hardly, if ever, take a moment to just listen. This, however, brings up a different question - is there ever silence? No matter where we find ourselves, chances are that there is some noise. Be it the rustling of leaves as they sway in the breeze, the chirp of a bird, a car horn, a train rolling on its tracks, the buzzing of insects, the sound of water rushing over rocks... our world is never silent. When I say I embrace silence, I mean that I cherish moments void of unnatural noise. 

Silence is the precious time we can be comfortable with our own thoughts.  

Talking about quotes, tell me your favorite quote - or any of your favorite quotes - who it is by, and why you love it.

I have to admit that I do not have one favorite quote. Quotes change, depending on the mood; what I find strikingly beautiful one day, may come across as mundane and useless the next. There are, however, sentences that strike me as amazing, sentences that provoke thought. Just last night, as I was reading Camus' The Plague, I came across one: "Can one be a saint without God?" I contemplated that question for a long time. Nevertheless, it is not really a quote, so I'll answer with one I saw today: 

"Imagine having nothing on your hands but your destiny. You sit on the doorsteps of your mother's womb and you kill time-or time kills you. You sit there chanting the doxology of things beyond your grasp. Outside. Forever outside." - Henry Miller

I like it. It's thought provoking, optimistic and pessimistic at the same time. 

  

Since you mention Miller and Camus, let's talk about writers. Who is your favorite author/writer? Which of her/his book is your favorite? Is he/she an influence in your writing?

My favorite author is Henry Miller. There are others: Albert Camus, Knut Hamsun, Charles Bukowski, Albert Cossery, Boris Vian, Karel Capek, Italo Calvino.... Miller, however, stands above all. If I had to choose a single book of his, it would probably be Black Spring, but that is a very hard choice to make. 

Miller most definitely influenced my own writing. I started reading his books when I was only a teenager, and from then on, I have developed a love not only for his words, but also for the way he wrote. Miller loved life, and it shows in his books. There is a certain unconditional honesty in his writing that inspires me.

 

Although I haven't yet read your books, based on the descriptions, reviews and sampling of your work, you tend to write about loners, isolated or troublesome characters and/or relationships, am I correct? What prompts you to go deep into a character's soul searching and write lit fic?

Yes Andrea, you are partly correct. I tend to write about individuals and their struggle in the greater collective. While, at the cursory glance, we are all part of a larger society, deep down we are all individuals. Inside each one of us is that scared kid, the troubled teenager, the working parent who struggles with the weight of responsibility, the dreamer who wonders what if... I tend to write polarizing, yet universally human characters. For example, Rudy, the protagonist from the Mad Days of Me, trilogy: He is intelligent, yet he is wasting away. He has a possibility to escape his plight, yet is too proud to ask for help from his parents. He can make the choice to be deported, yet decides to remain homeless instead.

As to why Literary Fiction, I must admit that I never viewed my writing as literary fiction until it was pointed out to me. Nevertheless, literary fiction, unlike most genres, allows for the greatest flexibility in character development. Most genres must follow established formulas - in romance, there has to be love; in crime fiction, there has to be a crime; in horror, something gruesome must lurk around - in literary fiction, one can fully concentrate on the character as the character himself advances the story. Literary fiction is also best suited for addressing the greater issues we, as society, are facing.

Soul searching...well, the best stories are the ones we can relate to on a purely human level.

  

Have you been to all the locations you mention in your books? What place is on top of your bucket list and why?

I'm fortunate to have visited most of the places I write about. While technology makes it possible to write about just any place in the world, there is something selfishly pleasing about researching the places I visited years ago, and refreshing my own memories of tastes, smells, and sights I had enjoyed.

At the top of my bucket list would be South America. Just me, a motorcycle, camping gear, and enough money for gas and food along the way. I would fly down to Chile and ride all the way up to Mexico, experiencing as much as possible along the way.

 

Are you optimistic/hopeful/romantic?

That's a loaded question. Deep inside, despite all the gloom and realism, I'm an optimist. I like to gaze at the horizon, wondering what lies behind the line of sight, which probably makes me a hopeless romantic.  

Tell me one thing about you that you would like readers to know.

I still have dreams.

Glad to know you're a dreamer, so we can expect more books from you. Where can we find more about you and your books?

You can visit my infrequently updated blog:

http://mad-days-of-me.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

my frequently active Goodreads profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6583769.Henry_Martin

or my Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JCCFNI

Thank you for having me. 

You're welcome! Good luck and keep writing!