Interview and Giveaway With Author Chaz Wood

Q: Who are you, and why should readers read the rest of this interview?

Chaz Wood. Writer, artist, publisher - general do-it-yourself freak. As
such - usually a very very busy person.

Read the rest of this because I disclose the secret to untold wealth and
incredible, everlasting sex at the end. I'm also the most honest man on
the planet.

Q: Tell us a little about the work you are here promoting.

This is the 'Wish & the Will'. Currently, Book 1, entitled
'Sundancer's regret', which I'm releasing in downloadable episodes
of 4 or so chapters at a time, inspired by the old 1930s and '40s
cliffhanger serials of the cinema. The fully-illustrated editions are
available from the Fenriswulf Books website, or alternatively, boring
old text-only editions of Episodes 1-3 are also out on the Amazon Kindle
platform, as Kindle doesn't like big colour pictures.

Over a decade in production, the tales are set on a world where fairytale
and folklore are history, and magic still lingers in the air. Against
this backdrop, a small group of outlaws flee the agents of the strange
and sinister Daemonlords, who rule the city of Old Middengarth. Stories
and subplots intertwine in an increasingly epic and cosmic (at times,
comic) destiny, with surreal and whimsical convolutions along the way.
If you fancy your fantasy a little beyond the norm, then this might just
be your wacky bag of tricks...

Q: As a writer, do you have plans for world domination, or do you have a

day job as well? 


Two day jobs: business tech / IT support, and self-employed illustrator. The writing brings in almost no money at all and I spend so much time doing it merely because I enjoy it so much. And
also because self-publishing online is so easy these days, it's crazy
not to share work and hope that someone, somewhere, may actually like it.

Q: Self-published, traditional, indie or part of an indie collective? If

not yet published, what are you doing to make it happen? 


Self-published all the way. My blog is aimed at fellow self-published writers and
creators with links and resources, as well as the continuing story of my
own adventures in this game. I wouldn't say that I'm winning that game,
but it's been a lot of fun taking part so far, anyway.

Q: How do you handle bad reviews? If you haven't had one...would you be
willing to take part in a social experiment and  grant
me permission to trash your writing, just to see if you cry? I wouldn't

do that (don't worry) ....

The worst review I ever had to date, for my first book 'Maranatha', was
from someone who didn't understand half of what I was writing about
(Gnostic Christianity and alchemy), and she admitted as such. It was a
'middle of the road' review at that, not so bad overall. I guess I'd
handle bad stuff OK, as I don't get too overcome by good ones either -
it's all only one person's opinion, and it may well be very wrong.
Though I do get a nice warm glow at the nicer comments.

Q: Are you nervous yet and do you prefer white or wheat bread?


 No, not at all. I can only eat white bread - dietry and health requirements.

Q: Do you blog? If so, don't you wish you were as cool a blogger as I? 


I do. All other bloggers are cooler than me, I've realised. But I keep
plugging away because I'm not a quitter and, hell, I really enjoy what I
do ;)

Q:  What is your favorite creature, monster, or fantasy based thing you

write about? 


I've always had a thing for races of animal people. I was
crazy about ancient Egyptian gods as a kid and my fantasy books are
filled with cat-people, wolf-people, crocodile-people, horse-people,
cow-people...I find these kinds of races far more interesting to write
about than mere humans. Symbolically it's kind of interesting as well,
as you can dig into the ancient fables and folklore  which feature
animals, and understand why certain traits and characteristics have been
applied to them by different cultures over the centuries.

Q: Are you planning to give something away (if not, good luck getting
anyone to read this thing) and if so, what are your demands for winning

(I assume, your book because why else would you stop by?) 


I can give away some PDFs of the full-colour illustrated episodes 1 and 2, as I
don't do print anymore. Besides, 'Sundancer's regret' would cost a
fortune to produce on paper the way I would want it. I think the files
are about 10 MB or so in size (maybe 13 MB once your email program has
finished encoding all the data). Getting people to read stuff, never
mind review it, is never easy, so any enthusiasm at all is hugely
appreciated.

Q: Any advice for aspiring writers? 


Never give up, and always believe in what you do.

Q: Tick off a few indie authors you look up to. 


Julieanne Lynch (at:http://julieannelynch.blogspot.com/  ) is one of the nicest and friendliest people I've met recently in this game, and also seems to be really successful. There's also this lady, Natasha, who's been very helpful too...

Q: Are you, or are you not a douche bag? Heh, you don't have to answer

that. That's just for my enjoyment. 


I probably am, in many ways that I doubt I even realise, and nobody else has had the guts to tell me yet.

Q: Sell your book, right now, to your host without once mentioning your book, blog or twitter handle.

"Terry Pratchett meets Monty Python and has a drunken fist-fight with
George Lucas in Dickensian London".

Q:  Alright, where can readers find you on the web?

Right here: http://www.fenriswulf-books.co.uk. There's plenty of info
there about 'The Wish & the Will', as well as all the other stuff
I've done in the past, too. P.S I'm always looking out for guest posts
for the blog on the themes of self-publishing/writing/creating.



And now for some cool shit:

THE CARDS ARE STACKED...

The world is in turmoil! In the solitary city of Middengarth, the strange
and sinister Daemonlords rule the inhabitants with ever-increasing
firmness. The great City Clock stands still at one stroke before
midnight, and the whispers on the street say it shall soon strike - to
signify an event that none could ever foresee. In the Outside, the
untamed lands far beyond the City, a cruel warlord known only as the
Moderator kills or enslaves all those who wish a new society free of the
Daemonlords.

But one insignificant human is worrying only about his own skin. That is,
until Fate decides to lend a hand.  When down-on-his-luck gambler Jeth
Sundancer reluctantly teams up again with old partner Renzo K. Castello
to perpetrate the 'biggest-ever bank job', the brainchild of the
appealing but mysterious Claudia, he soon wishes he had stayed within
the city's Warrens. For Jeth Sundancer; sardonic, weary and distrusting
of his only friends; the cards do indeed seem to be stacked.

The Wish & the Will is graphic fantasy with a steampunk twist, written &
illustrated by Chaz Wood."

Contest Rules! 

Leave a comment including your email addy. Following the blog is not required but is often the right thing to do =) This contest will run until September 20th. Good Luck!