Maria Haskins was born and grew up in Sweden, but has been a resident of British Columbia, Canada since the early 1990s. Currently, she lives just outside Vancouver with her family – a husband, two kids, and a very large dog. She has had several books published in Sweden, and ‘Odin’s Eye’ – a collection of science fiction short stories – is her English language debut.

Her favourite literary genres are fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction; and her favourite writers include Ursula K. Le Guin, Ray Bradbury, T.S. Eliot, George R.R. Martin, J.R.R. Tolkien, George Orwell, Hemingway, John LeCarré, Umberto Eco, and Colleen McCullough.

In addition to being a writer and blogger, she is also a certified translator, translating between Swedish and English.

What genre do you write?

Right now I’m writing science fiction, fantasy, and poetry. My current release ‘Odin’s Eye’ is a collection of science fiction short stories, and I am also working on a novel set in the same future “universe” as the short stories. At the same time, I’m also poking around with a science fiction novella, and I’m in the pre-planning stages for a fantasy novel, which should take shape someday. I guess I’ve got too many projects in my head in a way, but at least I always have something to work on! I also write poetry on a continuous basis. For me, writing poetry is kind of like keeping a diary or journal, it’s something I just do whatever else I’m working on. It’s a way to deal with experiences and emotions in everyday life in a more immediate way than you can do with fiction. And just to add to my to-do list, I am planning to release a collection of poetry later this year.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

I have always been writing stories, ever since I was a little kid. At certain points in my younger life, I considered becoming a veterinarian or an archaeologist, but the writing has always been there, I’ve always done it, and I always come back to it. I struggled with terrible writer’s block for a few years, and I don’t think I realized until I came out of that funk just how much happier I am when I’m writing. That experience has really reinforced for me that I do need to do this: I need to write.

Tell me 3 things about yourself that your readers don’t know.

I have a very unhealthy obsession with salted licorice. I blame this vice on the fact that I was born in, and grew up in Sweden: it’s a Swedish thing!
When the TV-series LOST was on TV, I was completely obsessed with it and even had a website dedicated to the series. You can still see it here: http://megeeking.blogspot.ca/
I LOVE online role-playing games. I’ve played Ultima Online, Everquest (was in both of those games from launch), Everquest 2, Dark Age of Camelot, Asheron’s Call, Lord of the Rings Online, World of Warcraft. Right now I’m still active in Guild Wars 2 even though I don’t have as much time for gaming as I once did.

Tell me about your book.

Odin’s Eye is a collection of science fiction short stories that are all glimpses into this future universe that I envision. The stories take place on Earth, elsewhere in our solar system, and in outer space. In each story a character is facing some kind of challenge or choice. For example, one woman is stranded on an alien planet, another character has to deal with a powerful artificial intelligence, and one woman serves a life sentence on Mars in a prison system that is set up both to punish, and profit from, the convicted. Two of my favourite science fiction authors are Ursula K. Le Guin and Ray Bradbury, so my science fiction isn’t exactly “hard” – like those authors, my main interest as a writer is to explore how human beings are influenced by technology and a changing society, rather than space battles and technological details. I do enjoy reading hard sci-fi, but as a writer I guess I’m just a little softer!

Links:

My website: https://mariahaskins.wordpress.com/

My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mariahaskinswriter

My Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariaHaskins

My Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00UICDA2K

My Tumblr: http://mariahaskins.tumblr.com/

My Goodreads profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13459869.Maria_Haskins

Odin’s Eye at Amazon – it’s available in paperback and as an ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Odins-Eye-Maria-Haskins-ebook/dp/B00UIANX06

Dragon

I said
fire
but I couldn’t even feel the flame
crawling across my skin
– thin and blue –
barely breathing
no heat, no charred skin, no blistered fingertips
no pain.

Won’t touch
don’t touch
not with the words or hands
not even to look at.
I said
there is no fire
and watched it snake and slither across the skin –
blue thin flame
held close to the bone
tight in fist,
my breath withheld.

But, oh.

Oh,
to uncoil in all the glory of it:
jeweled scales shimmering
this shiny coat of arms.
To feel it, rippling across the ground:
the searing, burning, vicious heat of it,
still withheld in my chest, mouth, head
firefirefire
rough and hot and raging
consuming every good and wicked deed and thought and dream
unsaid words like screaming flames
caught in my barbed throat.

No.
Leave it.
Leave well enough alone.

Leave me:
just one claw, just one tooth, just one precious scale.
Just one lick of flame:
thin and blue
barely visible
scrawled upon my naked skin.

© Maria Haskins, 2015

Image based on Wikimedia file.

Apr 9 2015

Different imaginations: TRIPTYCHS ( Book three in The Minds Eye Series). Thirteen different authors! #share

A wonderful review of Triptychs 💟

Purplerose123's Blog

TRIPTYCHS ( minds eyes series book three)
I love this series! Every time I open a new book from this series I’m thrilled because I know I’m about to read from new authors and ones I already love. I see some beautiful photography and read meaningful poetry. The stories are different from one another, different styles, dark, romance, mystical and the poems are mind blowing. There are 13 authors, photographers in this book, each story meticulously written for your reading pleasure, “pleasure “you will get from this book. There are short stories, some longer ones, I loved each one, I loved everything about this book. It’s hard to have a favorite when there’s such great authors, you’ll have to read it to see what I mean. I know I found new authors in this series, you will to. Whoever came up with this concept is genius! So much talent in…

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Mar 13 2015

Mind’s Eye Editor Robert Helle

Q: Do you edit particular genres?

A: I never want to feel pigeonholed or locked into a specific genre. I feel like I can edit in any domain, though my personal interests are geared more toward mystery and suspense. I’ve edited everything from medical transcripts to standardized educational testing manuals, so I’m comfortable in all realms.

Q: Have you always wanted to be an editor?

A: I can’t say I always wanted to be an editor. I always felt like I could excel as an editor, though, and it was a natural progression from newspaper reporter to newspaper editor to book editor. As a youngster, I wanted to be a professional baseball player. Hell, I still do (chuckles)! But I was limited, physically, and I was told, at the age of 9, to “hit the books.” That advice came from my first orthopaedic surgeon and it proved to be an astute comment that I’ve never forgotten. He was right. I had a congenital hip problem at that tender age and it has resulted in five hip surgeries. I spent the summer of my ninth year in a body cast. And I started reading. It was the proverbial silver lining. I became a prolific reader as a child and I more or less committed myself to reading, writing, and now – editing.

Q: Tell me 3 things about yourself that your followers might not know.

A: Well, that’s a fun topic, Helle. Do I have to limit myself to just 3 (laughing)? And to think I came into this interview thinking that I don’t like talking about myself. Ha! OK, I’ll go with these fun facts:

– I lived on Maui when I was a teenager. In fact, I started high school there. I became enamoured of the tropical, laid-back lifestyle. But my pleasure was short-lived, as my mother insisted that we return to the heart of the US mainland in the dead of winter. It was a long time before I forgave her. My dad hated to leave Maui, too, but you know the old saying: happy wife, happy life.

– As an eighth-grader, I introduced former US president Gerald Ford before he addressed a corporate group in Illinois. The backstory was that I had won an essay contest the corporation sponsored. Part of my reward was to introduce Ford, who was a Michigan congressman at the time. He actually followed me on the dais. I read my essay to the conventioneers. He was extremely congenial and encouraged me to pursue a writing career.

– I once received death threats. You don’t know how mortifying that is until you’re on the receiving end. I was an investigative reporter at a daily newspaper in Illinois and part of that beat was covering criminal trials. The defendant in one trial, who was accused of marital rape, was not particularly fond of my trial stories and he spent a considerable amount of time glaring at me throughout the proceedings. Unfortunately, he was acquitted. I say unfortunately because he was guilty as sin but the jury didn’t buy the concept of marital rape. Anyway, shortly after the trial ended, I started getting death threats in the mail. The newspaper went to great lengths to protect me, and nothing ever came of it – obviously, since I’m still here. Hahahaha. But it was a terrifying period in my life.

Link:

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Mar 13 2015

Mind’s Eye Author Eden Baylee – @edenbaylee

Eden Baylee

Eden Baylee left a twenty-year banking career to become a full-time writer. She incorporates many of her favorite things into her writing such as: travel; humor; music; poetry; art; and much more.

Stranger at Sunset is her first mystery novel, on the heels of several books of erotic anthologies and short stories. She writes in multiple genres.

An introvert by nature and an extrovert by design, Eden is most comfortable at home with her laptop surrounded by books. She is an online Scrabble junkie and a social media enthusiast, but she really needs to get out more often!

What genre do you write?

Hi Helle, thanks so much for having me on your great blog!

I write in multiple genres. I started with erotica and erotic/romance when I became a full-time writer five years ago. I have also written many short stories that straddle all genres—thriller, romance, and mystery. In 2014, I released a psychological suspense novel called Stranger at Sunset. It will be the first of a trilogy, so I’ll be continuing in this genre.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

I’d have to say no. Many authors say they’ve known all their lives they wanted to write, but that wasn’t the case for me. Informally, I’ve been writing since my mid-teens, but it took a long time before I decided to make it a career. Initially, writing was a way of nurturing my fantasy life and my love of reading.

Over time, it evolved, and now I really love to tell a good story.

Tell me 3 things about yourself that your readers don’t know.

Tough one, considering I’ve bared my soul in numerous interviews and my life is an open book!

1) I just wrote a novella about Hawaii and now I must go there.

2) I appreciate beautiful body art but would never get a tattoo myself.

3) I named my external hard drive “Goddess.”

And maybe you all could tell me a bit about your stories.

My first story “Last Call” was based upon one of your photos, Helle, an uplifting scene of blue sky with a feathery sweep of clouds. I found the picture quite cheerful, but on the day I was writing the story, I was not in a cheerful mood. Given that, I twisted the image in my mind and created an ominous, mysterious tale about a woman who pursues sobriety. What happens to her is quite dark.

In my second story, inspired by Martin David Porter’s photograph, there are many elements in the picture. Unlike your photo that conjured a mood, I picked the one feature of Martin’s photograph that I could build my story around—swans, and that is why the story is called “Swans.” It’s about a young girl and her unique relationship with her parents. The story pays homage to Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Ugly Duckling.”

Many thanks for the interview, Helle!

Links

To stay apprised of Eden’s book-related news, please add your name to her mailing list.

Author Links

Website | Blog | Amazon Author page US | Amazon Author page UK

Mar 2 2015

Mind’s Eye Author Lisette Brodey

Bio

Lisette Brodey was born and raised in Pennsylvania. After high school, she moved to New York City where she attended Pace University and studied drama. After ten years in New York, several of them working in the radio industry, she moved to Los Angeles, where she held various positions at Paramount Studios in Hollywood and CBS Studio Center in Studio City, CA. Back on the East Coast, she worked for many years as a freelance writer, specializing in PR and the entertainment industry. In 2010, she returned permanently to the Los Angeles area.

What genre do you write?

That sounds like an easy question but it’s not. I’ve written in several. Putting labels on books isn’t as simple as it sounds. My first published novel, Crooked Moon, could be considered literary fiction or women’s fiction. Some consider my first-written novel, Squalor, New Mexico, to be Young Adult, as it is a 1970s coming-of-age novel. But many have appropriately classified it as literary fiction, and I agree.

My third novel, Molly Hacker Is Too Picky!, is a romantic comedy that is definitely in the chicklit or women’s fiction genre. Currently I’m writing my sixth novel, which is also book 3 of a Young Adult paranormal series.

My seventh novel is partially written, and it is definitely literary fiction. That’s probably the genre in which I’ll stay. But you never know!

Have you always wanted to be an author?

Ever since I learned how to write, I wanted to, but I wasn’t sure what to write: plays, screenplays, or books. For the past twenty years, I’ve been content to be a novelist.

Tell me 3 things about yourself that your readers don’t know.

I have never and would never write a character that is solely me. Not even close.

I have a very difficult time reading most books written as if they’re happening in present time, e.g. she walks to the door and answers it.

I consider typing the most valuable class I ever took in high school.

Tell me a bit about your stories

“I Wish…,” which was inspired by your sunset photo, is the story of a well-to-do woman who lives in a New York City high rise. She is married to a good man, but having focused solely on her children, she is now lost and lonely as they have lives of their own. Every day, she watches the rush-hour traffic from her window, but she dreams of being back in a vacation spot she visited with her family decades ago and longs for the blissful sunset she remembers so ardently.

“May Twenty-Fourth” is the story of two American sisters, Julie and Carol, who travel to England together. Despite the death of her husband, Julie is a happy person. She has many friends and a positive outlook on life. Carol is happy being miserable. She’s a chronic complainer who rarely appreciates anything in life. Julie takes Carol on a trip to London in hopes of bonding with her sister away from the stresses of home. On a bus ride to see some church ruins, Carol makes a life-changing decision that impacts both sisters profoundly.

Links

Feb 25 2015

Mind’s Eye Author Ben Ditmars @benditty

Bio:

Ben is an author of gnomes, plays, poetry and more. He was first published in his college publication and heads the poetry committee at the Mid-Ohio Fine Art Society. Currently, he lives in Marion, Ohio and is working toward his Master’s Degree. He loves historical documentaries and all things gnome.

What genre do you write?

I mostly write poetry but I’ve been known to dabble in fan fiction and stories about magic Zeppelins.

Have you always wanted to be an author/poet?

Interesting question. I’ve always been writing (and sometimes scaring my elementary school teachers in the process).

I know I’ve always wanted to be myself and make a difference, which writing seems to help.

Tell me three things your readers might not know.

I’m terrified of uncertainty. Writing helps me face my fears, but driving to strange places, relationships, even the dark at times can overwhelm me. Also, death. I really don’t want to die.
I’m addicted to caffeine: soda, coffee, tea. Everything but energy drinks. Apparently, I draw the line somewhere.
I head a local poetry group where we meet every month to share words, thoughts, and other suggestions.

My poems in “Triptychs” are inspired by some thought-provoking (and beautiful) photographs. For the first Think Green I thought of my mother. She’s always had a green-thumb and seems to think days are best spent outside doing some form of yard work. It’s not a bad thing, unless you have poetry to write or lessons to plan, but I know I’ll miss it when she’s gone. My second poem “Dry dock” was a take on nostalgia. Martin’s photograph reminded me of age and the danger of complacency. Writers can be guilty of over-dreaming and I’ve tried to get outside and live as much as I write: but it’s hard when there are books to read.

Links

Feb 18 2015

Mind’s Eye Author @Maria_Savva

Today I have co-creator and Mind’s Eye series author, Maria Savva on my blog.

Bio:

Maria Savva works as an administrator at a legal advice centre in London. She studied Law at Middlesex University and The University of Law. She is a solicitor, although not currently practising law. She writes novels and short stories in different genres, including drama, psychological thriller, and family saga. She has published five novels, the most recent of which is Haunted, a crime fiction/psychological thriller. Far Away In Time is her sixth and most recent collection of short stories. She’s also contributed short stories to the BestsellerBound Anthologies (most of which are free to download on Amazon) and she is one of the founders of The Mind’s Eye Series. In addition to writing fiction, Maria is a music blogger for the UK Arts Directory.

What genre do you write?

I write novels and short stories in all sorts of genres and never really stick to one genre within a book or even within a story.

Most of my books and stories have elements of romance, mystery, and the paranormal in them. I also have recurrent themes that tend to run through many of my books and stories, including relationships, dreams, regret, guilt, secrets, and lies.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

I think it’s something I always wanted to do, yes. I’ve always been a bookworm. I started reading when I was very young and have always loved words; I used to do lots of crossword puzzles when I was younger, for example. I asked for a typewriter when I was about seven. My dad got me an old typewriter, the kind where you have to replace the ribbon. I don’t have it anymore, not sure what happened to it… Whenever I watched films that were based on novels, as a child, I’d always say that one day I’d like to write a novel and have it made into a film. That’s always been a dream of mine. I had lots of other interests when I was growing up, though, so writing wasn’t something I concentrated on.

As for always wanting to be an author, I wouldn’t say that has been my sole aim. I started off when I was younger wanting to be an actress, then a teacher, then a make-up artist, then a hairdresser, and I had other dreams like wanting to be a musician or a Wimbledon tennis champion LOL. But I suppose you could say, reading and writing have always been part of my life in some way.

I studied to be a lawyer, which involves lots of reading, and worked as a lawyer for about 15 years. Much of my legal career inspired a lot of my fiction. I met lots of different people. Working in a job like that, you meet people from all walks of life and you get to know a lot about them. It certainly gives you an interesting insight into human nature.

Tell me 3 things about yourself that your readers don’t know.

I think my readers probably know all there is to know about me as I’ve done lots of interviews in the past few years. Anything I haven’t revealed in interviews is probably a secret anyway LOL.

In case people haven’t read my blog/interviews:

I lived in a haunted house from the age of 5 until the age of 9 and this has inspired a lot of the paranormal/ghost elements in my novels and stories.
I had a catheter ablation to cure my SVT (Supraventricular tachycardia) over 4 years ago (I was born with an extra pathway in my heart and wasn’t diagnosed until I was in my late thirties). My heart used to randomly start beating at nearly 250 bpm for sometimes up to 3 hours or more. I’m glad to have put that behind me!
I can’t swim.

– Tell me a bit about your stories.

For “Triptychs” I wrote 2 stories. The first one I wrote is called “Glimmer Siluridae”. It’s a fantasy tale. (I’ve found that the Mind’s Eye Series has been bringing out the fantasy writer in me! In “Perspectives”, I wrote a fairy story.) Glimmer Siluridae is the name of a mermaid who appears in the story. That tale is lighthearted but also deals with the subject of life after death. It was inspired by one of your photos, Helle, the one with the sun reflecting off the water.

The second story I wrote for “Triptychs” took a bit longer to come to me. “Lost in You” is quite an introspective, dark piece of work. The main character is a troubled soul. This is a twisted story about lost love. It nearly made me cry when I first read it over. It’s quite a tragic tale. It was inspired by Martin David Porter’s photo of a harbour.

Links:

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Feb 16 2015

TRIPTYCHS Cover Reveal (Mind’s Eye series book 3)

I’m so happy to be part of the Mind’s Eye series again.

I’m lucky to be amongst such talented authors, poets and photographer.

I provided pictures for the other authors and poets,and poems inspired by pictures by Martin David Porter.I was also lucky to provide pictures for the cover, which Jason McIntyre worked his magic on and created this awesome work of art.