The Wildcat's Burden by Christopher Hoare -- Book Review

In The Wildcat's Burden by Christopher Hoare, Gisel Matah, is now the military governor of the city of Skrona in liberated Tarnland. Married, and pregnant with her first child, she knows her enemies are waiting for her to go into labor so they can pounce. A leader in a dangerous game that pits Gisel against spies, thieves and murderers, her enemies seek to steal Plan Zero and perhaps rid themselves of the Wildcat for good.

In this well-written fourth installment of the Iskander series, Hoare has given Gisel a new side--that of mother-to-be. Unlike many women in her position, Gisel is not able to sit back and enjoy this time. There are too many issues that need her attention: enemies to thwart, plots to uncover, and peace to keep in a world filled with cheats, liars, spies, and worse. Her husband, Yohan, worries over her, all the while being annoyed, knowing Gisel doesn't share everything with him.

We also meet two other strong women in The Wildcat's Burden: Lizzie and Bluebell. Lizzie's unfolding story is perhaps my favorite, and she is vital in uncovering a plot that could change the world as they know it.

This is the first book of the Iskander series that I've read, but Hoare includes a Foreword that discusses the series up to the point where this book begins, so I didn't feel a bit lost picking up the series with Book 4. Even without the Foreword, The Wildcat's Burden is an excellent stand alone, but it is nice that the author included this for the the reader; especially since there are so many characters to keep track of. Also included is an extensive Afterword that brings the reader into Gisel's future and discusses the unresolved storylines of characters that did not appear in The Wildcat's Burden.

Hoare definitely created an interesting and diverse set of characters in this book. Having not meet Gisel before now, I'm curious to know more about her past and others I met along the way.

While I can't say I would go out of my way to fill my shelves with books of this nature, I enjoyed tackling a genre I rarely read. With The Wildcat's Burden, Hoare has written a science fiction/alternative world story that will draw in lovers of this genre.


Title: The Wildcat's Burden
Author: Christopher Hoare
Publisher: Double Dragon Publishing
ISBN-9: 1-55404-729-3
ISBN-13: 978-1-55404-729-1
SRP: $5.99 Available in multiple electronic formats

The Inside Scoop on K. L. Nappier

We have a real treat today. Award-winning author K. L. Nappier joins us to talk about all sorts of good stuff. Kathy has been published in many genres, but leans towards thrillers and mysteries. She is also a founding member of the Indiana Writers Workshop and a member of the Tampa Writers Alliance. Kathy contributed two articles to Inside Scoop: Articles about Acting and Writing by Hollywood Insiders and Published Authors. This is just one of several interviews I am performing with the writers who contributed to Inside Scoop.

Welcome to The Book Connection, Kathy. I’m thrilled you could join us today.

Thanks, Cheryl. I’m flattered you asked me.

Let’s start by getting to know you. How long have you been writing? How many genres have you been published in?

Oh, I’ve been writing for over 20 years and I’ve done a little bit of everything, really. Most of my novels fit into at least two genres. I work with themes or premises first and don’t tend to focus on genre. For a lot of years, publishers didn’t know how to catalog me. At any given time, a novel might be a thriller/adventure/horror story or a mystery/intrigue/romance. It all depends on what the theme calls for. But since I like to work with mythic images, I’d say most of my stuff leans toward the darker genres. Always with an eye toward the light, though. ;-)

Who or what has influenced your writing the most?

It’s not popular to say so but the simple truth is that, being a Baby Boomer, TV and movies have influenced me as much as great literature. Although I was more consciously aware of literature’s impact on me than I was of the silver screens’, both big and little. E.A. Poe was a major, major inspiration when I was a girl and he remains so. Unlike with movie icons and those on the tube, I knew I wanted to “write like Poe.” I read everything he wrote and, also, as much as I could about the man.

It wasn’t until later that I realized what an impact Alfred Hitchcock had on me as well as Rod Serling. They were as formative for me as Poe, whether I knew it or not at the time. I think that’s because of media’s natures. When you hold a book in your hand, you know who the author is, even when you’re a kid. But, as a child, you don’t even know what a screenplay is. You pay no attention to the film credits at the end of the movie. You’re just swept away by the story itself. Or, at least, I didn’t pay attention as a girl. I had to mature a little before I realized that Serling was a writer first, who became a TV icon later and Hitchcock...well, I’m convinced that the reason Hitchcock was so great as a movie maker was because he had a writer’s soul.



Now, from what I understand, there were many years between your debut novel, Shadows in the Mist and your supernatural thriller, Full Wolf Moon. Why do you think that happened? What did you do to keep yourself from getting discouraged?

Well, before I start pointing fingers, I need to look in the mirror. First and foremost -at the risk of sounding like a public broadcast announcement- I dropped out of college. Big mistake. Cost me years, because colleges and universities are to publishing houses what minor league is to baseball. Connected professors refer talented students. It was -and still is- a large part of the system and there’s no shame in it. Why would publishers go out into the general public when there’s a guaranteed source of talent in a concentrated area easily tapped?

So, stay in school, kids, if you want your writing career to develop early.

Beyond that, I couldn’t write to trend. Honestly, I tried, I really did. I wasn’t too proud to mimic the flavor of the month or year. It’s just that I’m not good at it. Also, by today’s standards, I’m a slow writer. It takes me a couple of years on average to complete a novel. And if you’re going to be a trend writer, you gotta pump those babies out faster than that.

Now for the finger pointing. I had two terrible agents in a row. I won’t name names or go into details, but they were volume agents: agents who loaded themselves up with every writer they could sign. The theory there, of course, is similar to throwing spaghetti on a wall. If you stuck to the wall immediately, they focused all their attention on you. If you slipped off the wall too soon, they left you to shrivel on the floor.

This is not a statement against literary agents in general. Heaven knows there are many, many very good ones out there. Just consider it a cautionary tale. I should revisit the mirror here as well because I did, after all, choose to sign with these people. The lesson is that a writer should research the agent well and, most especially, not leap into the lap of the first one who asks him or her to sign. Regretfully, that’s what I did. Twice.

What kept me from being discouraged? Well, I did get discouraged. I can’t count how many times over the years I was discouraged. But getting discouraged and giving up are two very different things. But, during the tough times, I had a lot of hands pulling me up off my knees: my husband’s, my family’s and the Indiana Writers Workshop critique group’s, foremost.

But, you know, simply...I’m a writer. I know it’s cliche, but being a writer isn’t what I do, it’s what I am. I love to write. I get depressed if I don’t write. When I was a kid, I wrote stories just to write them. I wasn’t thinking about getting published. If I were to let publishing be the soul reason to write, then I guess I would have dropped out years ago. Would have wound up being a babbling old Boomer chick staring into her pinot noir, lamenting what could have been. ;-)
Good news, though. Today, there are so many ways to keep a writer from being discouraged. Even if you blew it like I did during your college years, the publishing opportunities -contrary to conventional wisdom- are better today than ever. Contests for both published and unpublished writers alike are all over the Internet. There are a swarm of independent publishers really putting the New York houses to the test. And no aspiring writer should discount self-publishing. It’s another avenue of potential, if you do your due diligence and proper research.



Since Full Wolf Moon you’ve experienced tremendous success. You’ve won awards and contributed to the online bestseller Twisted Tails Anthology. What do you feel is your most significant achievement?

Golly, I have to decide which baby I love best? ;-) That’s just too tough a call. But I can say that entering Full Wolf Moon in Double Dragon Publishing’s Draco Awards was my smartest move. Because of that, I was signed on, first, by Double Dragon as an ebook author and, most recently, by Aisling Press for the paperback rights to my novels. Needless to say, I mark my win in the Dracos as significant in relaunching my writing career.



Let’s talk about your articles that appear in Inside Scoop. How did you get involved in this project?

I have the great good fortune to know Marilyn Peake, the brains behind the series. She’s also a DDP author and a best selling writer to boot. She’s a savvy industry insider, she knows first hand the challenges of this calling and is keen to share her knowledge with aspiring writers. When a whirlwind like Marilyn invites you into a project, you do not want to say no. Good things follow Marilyn whereever she goes. I’m always happy to catch a ride on her coat tails.



What are “Barbarians at the Gate: The Future of Literature, Rumor versus Reality” and “Promo Ammo: What Is A Video Book Trailer & What Can It Do For You?” all about? What will writers learn from them?

“Barbarians at the Gate” is about the emergence of the independent publishing industry. Readers and writers alike are poised at the cusp of a very exciting and prolific time in publishing. Conventional wisdom -and I do use the term “wisdom” loosely in this case- is looking at what’s happening to the traditional publishing houses of New York and predicting all kinds of calamity, equating these houses’ financial woes with the demise of the global book industry. Typical. The NY houses rarely look outside themselves to see what’s going on and too many in the popular media take what the houses say as gospel. Well, I’m saying the future of literature is far from bleak. It’s just breaking out of its old NY boundaries and that’s disturbing to those who prefer the status quo.

“Promo Ammo” is an introduction to an emerging and highly valuable promotional tool for today’s authors: the video book trailer (or book preview). YouTube, MySpace, DailyMotion and their ilk are now major players in the popular media, and writers need to keep up. The video book trailer is a great way to get your titles in front of the reading public. And a struggling writer doesn’t have to break the bank to have one produced. It’s a niche industry getting ready to bust out.

As a virtual book tour coordinator, I am very interested in your opinions on video book trailers. Do they really help sell books? How fancy do they have to be? Any advice on how many minutes is too long or too short?

I think they’re one of the most exciting new tools available. But, like any other promotional aid, they won’t sell a book by themselves. They need to be part of a total package. They’re a “hook,” an invitation to “come see more.” A good one can really draw in the visits at the YouTube style venues. They’re also highly effective at conventions and book fairs.

The time element certainly is important. I know it’s a thrill for us authors to see our books come to life on a video, but to the reading public it’s just a commercial. I may love to watch a four minute video, over and over again, that’s all about my book. But my potential readers are gonna start yawning and say “bye bye” in half that time. Remember who you’re making the video for and keep it under three minutes tops. About two minutes is optimum.

Like any promotion, the more professionally they’re made, the better. The good news is that there are affordable, easy-to-learn computer programs that can produce impressive videos, if your budget is such that you need to create them yourself. But there are also professional production companies creating videos, and not all of them will stress a writer’s pocket book. I use one myself, which I name in the article. One of the best in this new business and very affordable. Believe me, I don’t have the deep pockets of a Stephen King or Anne Rice, so you can trust me on this.

What’s up next for you? Are there future projects you would like to share with us?

I’m scurrying around a bit right now with book signings and panel discussion appearances at conventions, so I’m not getting as much writing done as I’d like. But that should settle down by the end of the year. Between trips, though, I’m working on something for the fourth in the “Twisted Tails” series and getting some ideas mapped out for what will be the third novel following the characters in “Full Wolf Moon” and “Bitten.” I think next year I’ll stay home so I can knuckle down and get some real work done on my manuscripts.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Only my best wishes and strongest encouragement to everyone out there. Writers, when “stage fright” strikes you, sitting in front of that white space on the monitor and wondering what the heck you’re doing there, realize this: you’re thinking too much. Stop it. Just write. You can clean it up later.

Readers, thank you for being you. Writing is a dance between an author and a reader. Without you, I wouldn’t even hear the music.

If anyone wants to come visit, my web site is KLNappier.com or drop by my MySpace page or YouTube channel. And I’m always happy to hear from readers and writers, so write me at klnappierddp(at)yahoo(dot)com

Thanks for joining us today, Kathy. It’s been great getting to know more about you and your work. I wish you continued success.

I appreciate the invite, Cheryl. When the questions are as thought provoking as yours, an interview is great fun.

Deadly Enterprise and Speculative Fiction Chris Hoare

Joining me today is Christopher Hoare, author of Deadly Enterprise and The Wildcat’s Victory both from Double Dragon Publishing (http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/). Deadly Enterprise was released this month and The Wildcat’s Victory will be out in January 2008. Chris paid me a visit to chat about his new release, his writing process, and what’s coming next.

Welcome to my blog Chris! It’s great to have you here.

Thank you, I'm very pleased to be able to visit your blog.

Let’s start off by finding out more about you. Who is Chris Hoare? When did you start writing? Were you inspired by anyone to become a writer?

I'm a retired oilpatch surveyor, born in England and living in Alberta, Canada, on the edge of the Rocky Mountains. My first published works were a few articles that appeared in the “Sunday Ghibli” an English language weekly published in Tripoli, Libya. Back in the 60s I was working in the desert and the city readership were hungry for news and views from the interior. I then switched to fiction, aiming straight for the hardest of course, and never published another thing until I did some articles on GPS for the Waterton National Park paper in the 90s.

I guess I became hooked on the idea of writing novels when I was a teenager. My mother used to borrow books from the 'penny' library at a local newsagent (the same one I delivered papers for) and I started reading a series about a special investigator of the 1930s. Don't remember titles or author, but Norman Conquest and his Hispano-Suiza roadster – his sidekick and wife Pixie – set me dreaming about adventure and storytelling.

You write speculative fiction in various genres. What is speculative fiction exactly? Have you always concentrated on this aspect of writing?

I think all fiction is speculative to some degree, but I admit I tend to write about other worlds or other realities in ours. The first novel I completed was a historical novel set in the fifth century with the arrival of the Saxons in Roman Britain, but it had its speculative side. I introduced characters who could have been the progenitors of the more mythical characters and histories – Hengist, Horsa, Arthur – who are syntheses of many other individuals whose actual names and careers have been embellished.

Speculative fiction proper is accepted to mean fantasy, science fiction, and anything with a supernatural element. My Iskander series has a group of moderns in a 1700s type world – it has to be on an alternate Earth, because my moderns change the course of history. My fantasy novel takes place on a fantasy world, and has different takes on magic, religious fanaticism, and technology than most other works in the genre.

What is your writing process like? Do you write every day? Is there a time of day you are more productive than others?

I finished writing my historical novel when I worked in an oil refinery. Much of it was written long hand in pencil in exercise books while I was on night and evening shifts. I sat at the control room desk, writing and living in the 5th century while glancing up periodically to watch for charts going out of range or alarm lights blinking. With that training I can easily adapt to any schedule.

Retired from my day job, I write most days, but I tend to put off new work until the evenings while my wife watches TV programs I'm not interested in. Physiologically, my best writing time is probably in the morning, but I run the dogs then. I tend to work out scenes and motivation while the dogs are doing their thing, and commit the details to memory for later.

Deadly Enterprise was released by Double Dragon Publishing this month. Where did you get the idea for this story?

Two main sources for the series. I have always been interested in history, military history, and the development of technology. The scenario for a group of modern technologists in an older world grew out of some what-if speculations around inventions and insights that are anachronistic, but could have changed the course of history in our world. Alternate timelines fascinate me.

The other impulse grew from reading and watching TV programs that had overly patronising attitudes toward female action characters. I think a British series on PBS about a young woman who was left a private detective agency in a will – it was called, I believe, “An Unsuitable Job for a Woman”, was the one that made me start writing. I wanted to create a female protagonist who could hold her own against anyone, and I think everyone who reads Gisel Matah's story through the three (at present) novels published or awaiting release dates will agree that she can handle anything that's thrown at her. If I met her in full cry, with those dark dark eyes flashing, she'd probably scare the sh*t out of me.

Deadly Enterprise is an action adventure story set in the 17th century on an alternate earth called Gaia. What kind of research—if any—did you need to do in order to create the world in which Gisel (your female lead), the Felgers, and the Emperor exists?

If any, seems to be applicable to most aspects of the stories and scenario because they grew out of a huge assortment of otherwise useless information in my head. But I still research specific details. Action in The Wildcat's Victory required me to check into the historical accounts of the effect of high velocity rifles on cavalry tactics – they effectively put horse cavalry out of business, but I needed to know the process over time and the troop levels at which the rifles made cavalry movement impossible. I found some websites that had historical accounts from the Franco-Prussian War and the French/Italian campaigns of Napoleon III. Then I exchanged e-mails with a military historian who had authored some of the material and he enlarged upon specific details for me.

Tell us about Gisel Matah. Who is she? Why will readers care about what happens to her?

Being somewhat of a rebel throughout my own life, I hope her combination of rebellion and compassion will strike a chord in readers. I have a detailed, two page bio on her, that I wouldn't attempt to paste here, but her ancestry is Anglo-Indian and Greek (which fits certain plot requirements), she has a stormy relationship with her father after the divorce of her parents, and until she meets the right man has had three tempestuous affairs. She steers a tight course between the somewhat arrogant attitude of her modern compatriots toward the 17th/18th century locals, and these people's often cruel and savage ways. I try to show her making good decisions when she's faced with moral dilemmas.

If people check out your website (http://www.christopherhoare.ca/) they will find a couple maps there. What can you tell us about these?

Being a surveyor, I suppose maps are a part of my writing. I like to know where everything is and how characters move around. Because some of my readers pre-publication have also wanted to know where things are, and because the map file cannot be downloaded with the e-book, I have the maps on the website where they can be accessed. The Philips map is actually one I copied and modified from my Mother's old school atlas – which is around 100 years old, and which the company was kind enough to let me use for free.

With Deadly Enterprise coming out this month and The Wildcat’s Victory due out in January of next year, it must be an exciting time for you. What has been the best part about the entire process of getting published? Is there anything you would change?

I think I'm beyond getting excited. In the 70s my historical novel almost reached publication; in the 80s the novel I wrote about workers trying to buy an oil refinery (based on a real attempt at the one I worked in) was accepted by a publisher who never raised the money to publish it; in the 80s I had a collection of funny stories from oil exploration close to acceptance until the senior editor figured he knew more about the industry than I did; in 2001 I had a novel accepted by an e-publisher who went out of business after 9/11. I think I'm playing this one cool – when it comes out I will set to work to see if it will let me make up all the ground I've lost.

What’s up next for you? Anything exciting we should know about?

I have a third novel in the series accepted by Double Dragon for release in 2008, as well as my fantasy novel to be released by Zumaya the same year. I'm just finishing a new short story for submission to the next Twisted Tales anthology from the Double Dragon authors – titled “Fear”. Haven't written short stories for years, or anything in the horror line before, but J felt the story I sent for Twisted Tales II was fit to be seen in company with the writings of the established Twisted Tales crew and I'm going to see if he thinks the same about this.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

I'm part way through a new novel that brings NASA spaceflight into the same world as the exotic arts of Tibetan Buddhism, with a protagonist who visits other worlds through the power of the mind. It's another of my speculative adventures into realities outside our usual paradigm. I'm still seeking the edges of our universe.

Thanks for chatting with me today Chris. It’s been a great pleasure to get to know more about you and your work. Congratulations on your books. I wish you much success.

I must thank you for letting me chunder on so much. It's been a pleasure to answer your well aimed enquiries.