Feature Author Erik Schubach

Feature Author

Erik Schubach

Author Bio:

I got my start writing romance novels by accident. I have always been drawn to strong female characters in books, like Honor Harrington. And I also believe that there is a lack of LGBT characters in media. So one day I came up with a story idea that combines the two... two days later I completed the manuscript for Music of the Soul.

My writing style may not be the most professional nor grammatically correct, but I never profess to be an English major, just a person that wants to share a story. I maintain that my primary language is sarcasm.

Each of my books features strong likeable female characters that are flawed. I think that flaws and emotional or physical scars make us human and give us more character than simply conforming to some "social norm".

I have also started a SciFi series, The Valkyrie Chronicles which features a Valkyrie, Kara, who was left behind on Earth five thousand years ago to help the Asgard race escape the onslaught of the Ragnarok horde. With the aid of a human, Kate, she holds the line in battle to herald the return of the Asgard!

If you like magic, paranormal romance and witches, then my new series Fracture might tickle your fancy. In the first book Fracture: Divergence, Alex King must stop magic from destroying reality. The problem is that Alex must solve the case in parallel universes where in one Alex is male and female in the other.

You can follow me online via Twitter @ErikSchubach or on Blogger Author Page- Blogspot  and on Facebook Facebook  for more information and to discuss my upcoming books.

Amazon Author Page

Author Interview

1.       Where are you from?

I'm not too sure about the first nine months, it could have been a sauna or something akin to one.  But then I was born in Lakenheath, England.  When I was just starting to walk I was whisked away to the storybook land of Spokane, Washington in the States.  Well fine, storybook as in an average US city.  After many walkabout adventures I wound up back in eastern Washington.

2.       What do you do when you’re not writing?

When I'm not writing, I'm either training for local triathlons or working my wood shop in my garage.  Making wooden toys and sleds.  I tend to work without plans and just see what fun things I can create with wood.

3.       Where do the ideas for your books come from?

The ideas spring from my love of reading just about any genre.  I wrote my first book on accident.  With my nieces being gay, I was noticing a severe lack of LGBT characters in literature.  Except of course for the stereotypical “quirky gay friend” that everyone seems to have.  That and I simply love strong female characters in books, like Honor Harrington, or Lessa of Pern.

I combined the two and came up with the idea for my first F/F romance, Music of the Soul.  I wrote it over a weekend and published it shortly after.  The series is my most popular on Amazon, there are currently eight books in the series with the next being released in a few weeks.

I am also a huge scifi/fantasy geek.  So I have three SciFi and Paranormal series as well which also feature strong lesbian characters.  Valkyrie Chronicles, Fracture, and Drakon.

4.       What book are you reading now?

I am currently reading Treecat Wars by David Weber and Jane Lindskold.  It is from the Honor Harrington series.

5.       What was the hardest part in writing?

The hardest part in writing is to keep the voices of other book ideas corralled.  It can get distracting so I have learned to compartmentalize them and just keep a list of book ideas so I do not dwell on them as I write my current manuscripts.  (The real answer is keeping my cats off the keyboard!)

6.       What was your favorite part of writing?

I think my absolute favorite part is reading reviews and interacting with my readers.  I get  so excited and walk around with a permanent smile knowing I was able to share a story and was able to convey the emotion to my readers.  I have a tendency to reply to each review on Amazon or email I recieve.

7.       What are your current projects?

Right now I am working on four books.

Progeny, which is the ninth book in the Music of the Soul series.  It features the children of some of the main characters from prior books as they enter adulthood.

Seventy Two Hours, the fourth book in the Valkyrie Chronicles series.  This one may maks some readers mad at me as we loose a main character at the beginning of the book, but I hope the resolution of the epic story will gain their forgiveness.

The Return of Ravenclaw, the second book in the Fracture series.  The sorceress Alex and the Justice Coven of New York must deal with the reappearance of the deadliest witch of their time while simultaneously dealing with a group of litches from parallel realities.

Last but not least, Dragonfall, the sequel to the new hit series Drakon.  Myra and Quinn must stand against a power beyond their understanding.  Myra, in dragon form must take on the reincarnation of Morgan la Fay as she protects the city of Denver and the people she loves.

8.      Can you share a little of your current work with us?

She started moving again and I realized I was staring at her as she left.  Leave it to me to find such an abrasive bully attractive.  I put her on my 'avoid' list.  I prefer kind, intelligent people to hang around with.

I stepped up to the freshman booth and smiled at the cute boy there.  Well hello there!  His name tag said Brent, he had some startlingly pretty green eyes.  Must have came with that red mop of hair he was blessed with.  He was a gangly fellow but I prefer that sort of character over traditional looks.  He was a little older than me, probably a junior or senior.

I smiled at him and he gave a lopsided smile back.  Then I said.  “I'm supposed to pick up my new student welcome and orientation packet at the pavilions on the green.  I'm assuming that this is the place.”  I brushed my pink lock of hair out of my face and over my shoulder with my mass of blonde hair.  I knew I should have worn a ponytail today.

He grinned.  “This is the place.  He looked at the few packets left on the table.  What was the name?”

I felt like a git.  “Oh, yes, terribly sorry, my name.  Samantha Roth.”

He blushed a little and responded, “Oh don't worry about it.  I love your accent.”  He grabbed a welcome packet with my name on it and handed it to me.  It never ceases to amaze me how many people say that to me.  They feel I have an British accent when I speak, but in London we just call it talking.  We moved to Seattle a little after my parents retired from the music business.  But I was old enough that my accent sort of stuck.  I like that because a lot of people say I sound like mum.

I took a sly page out of her book and replied. “Thank you... and I don't have an accent, you do.”

He snorted cutely and blushed at that.  I grinned, he was a shy one, that just compounded his cuteness to me.  Then he sat up straight like he had forgotten something.  “Oh!  You are in Schubert Hall, room 301, it is on the packet there.  Would you like a student ambassador senior to show you there and give you a tour of the campus?”

I smiled at him, “That would be brill, Brent.”

He looked down at his name tag then back at me and his grin doubled, then he motioned to a group of young men and women who were chatting nearby.  A cute brunette almost bounded over to us with an awesome smile on her face.

Brent blushed at her.  The shy ones are always so endearing!  Then he said to her, “This is Samantha Roth.  She just arrived and needs an ambassador to get her situated.”

The young woman winked at him playfully, I'm sure just to get him to blush more.  I like this wicked woman!  “You got it Red.” Then she turned to me and put her hand out.  “Pleased to meet you, Samantha.  I'm June Harris-West.  You can call me June or JW.  What should I call you?  Samantha, Sam, Sammie, Samster, the Samulater, Sam-a-lam-a-ding-dong, or just Hank?”

I couldn't stop from laughing at the exuberant woman, who reminded me a lot of my aunt Amber.  She looked oddly familiar to me, especially that glint of keen intelligence sparkling in those chocolate brown eyes that seemed to be taking in everything at once.  Brent spoke up, “Don't mind JW here.  She gives everyone nicknames.”

She just grinned.  “Oh admit it, you're going to miss me around here after I graduate this year, Red.”

I chuckled again and shook her hand, “Well hi there June.  Though I am quite fond of that Hank name, you can just call me Sam.”

9.       Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Just the same thing I try to share in all of my books.  “Your scars make you beautiful.”

~~**OK………….. Now that all the serious questions are out of the way, let’s have some fun**~~

10.   What is your most embarrassing moment?

I had just had a botched spinal tap (didn't know it at the time), and I was getting what they call a spinal headache, which get's you extremely nauseous and dizzy when you stand even though you feel fine laying down.  We had brought my son to the church to get him baptized, which is kind of odd because we are not overly religious and I hadn't set foot in a church in decades.  As we were walking up the steps to the church I doubled over and puked like the exorcist all over the steps.  There were plenty of jokes and skepticism about weather or not I'd burst into flames if I entered the church.

11.    What is one of the things you would put on your “bucket list”?

Well since I just found out that organizing a platypus rodeo is out, and my number two, going to space is out too... I guess just visiting the town I was born in over in England one day.

12.    If you could be any flavor of ice cream what flavor would you be and why?

Rocky Road of course.  Duh.  I'd be all chocolaty and a little nuts but a bit of a marhmallow.

13.    What is one thing that annoys you the most?

Stupid people. (sorry to be blunt about it, but come on Darwin, weed some out!)

14.    What is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?

A chocolate covered ant. Eww.

15.    Are you a morning or night person?

I am on all day every day so both.  The moment I wake up I am wide awake and excited to face the day and at night I fight as long as I can to stay awake in case I miss something!  I mean, hey, any day above ground is a good day!

16.    What’s your favorite movie?

Yeargh!  This has to be the hardest question to answer.  I have a favorite movie in every genre.  But I gotta pick one huh?  Gurgle, ack... pluh... umm, Raiders of the Lost Ark?

17.    Where is the worst place you could get stuck?

On a comet screaming toward its ultimate doom in the heart of a star.

Oh wait, you mean on Earth?  Someplace I don't speak the language, I'm paranoid of not understanding people.  They could be bringing you to be eaten by their pet shark when you are asking for the police to help you.

18.   Where would you go if you were invisible?

Oooooo... The Spacex Dragon Crewed Capsule and hitch a ride to the International Space Station, I always wanted to be an astronaut.  Or I could just sit really quietly at home when Wife v1.0 is mad at me and looking for me. :)

19.    What is the one thing you own you wish you didn’t?

My daughter's goats.  They are destructive and leave little presents everywhere.

20.   If you were stranded on a tropical island what 2 things would you want with you?

So I guess I can't answer a sailboat and a compass here?  ^-^

A roll of commercial plastic wrap and an aluminum pot.  I'd go all survivor on that island's a$$.

21.    If you could choose your nickname, what would it be?

Platypus King

A Deafening Whisper

Mia has lived a life full of harassment, for an affliction not many understand. She thought college would be different, her escape, after all, people there are more mature right? She was wrong. A rebellious girl, Vee, saves her from a bad situation and teaches her that every single day is a gift. A romance blooms between them that not even time can erase.

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4 Stars

A Deafening Whisper is a beautiful emotionally touching read.  It took me for a ride on an emotional rollercoaster.  The story that Mr. Schubach has written made me laugh and cry, it broke my heart and put it back together all in the span of one wonderfully written book.  This story grabs your heartstrings and will not let go until the end, and even then it still stays with you.  I loved that the heroines have a disability, but together still possess such an unimaginable strength that they are able to overcome many of the difficulties and do not let their disabilities define them and who they are.  The characters are all well developed and well written, and the fact that they aren’t perfect, makes them that much more real.  This was my first book by Erik Schubach, but most definitely will not be my last!  Kudos for such a well written emotionally moving read!

~Lauren~

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