Tar by
Please welcome author of Tar
Taylor Hohulin will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Tar
by Taylor Hohulin
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GENRE: Post-apocalypse/Science Fiction/Horror
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INTERVIEW:
- How did you come up with ideas for your books?
I usually start with one simple idea that really energizes me. For Tar, it was this idea of a wizard with a shotgun going on a road trip. Something about those three elements—wizard, shotgun, road trip—was really compelling to me. From there I start asking questions. Why would a wizard, with all this crazy power at his disposal need a shotgun? Where is he going on this road trip? Why does he need to get there? I keep on asking myself these questions until I have enough to start a story. The funny thing is that one simple idea I start with often ends up being one of the least important elements of the story. The wizard with a shotgun still plays a very important part in Tar, but he’s not the main character.
2. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?
I’m working on a new book right now, and I’m very excited about it. I’m not telling many people what it’s actually about yet, but I will say it’s a comedy about the end of the world. My books have gotten progressively darker since I started publishing—withTareasily being the darkest—so it’s been a nice change of pace to do something that isn’t quite so heavy.
- Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?
I have an awesome critique group that I just started meeting with this year. I can’t think of a single way they’ve hindered my writing. Obviously, there’s the benefit that comes from their feedback and seeing how other people process my book, but I’ve also found myself growing as a writer in providing my own feedback. We’ve got people writing in a variety of genres, and so there are a lot of different types of problems everyone is working to solve. I get to stretch my writing muscles in a variety of ways as I think about how I might solve each problem.
- When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?
I self-published my first book, Alpha, in 2013, but it felt a little like defeat at the time. I had really been hoping to get a literary agent who would get me a massive deal with a major publisher, and then there would be movies based on my book, and I would appear on all the late-night talk shows and be this fun, charming celebrity author…but no one wanted to take it on. I got a couple nibbles, but none that went very far. So yeah, it did feel like I’d given up when I self-published Alpha, but I ended up having such a blast with that process. I really like the freedom and control I gain over my work in indie publishing. That’s not to say I’d never consider a traditional publishing deal, but I’d need a pretty tempting offer to get away from what I’m doing now.
- Do you outline your books or just start writing?
I’m all about outlining. I need that bird’s-eye view of my story before I dive in, or things get really messy really fast. It also really helps with writer’s block. I always know what’s supposed to happen next, so it always comes down to just sitting down and forcing myself to get the scene going.
- Do you have an all time favorite book?
If I had to pick one, probably Stephen King’s It. I love King in general, but that one in particular is special, and I’m so thrilled the new movie adaptation captured the real essence of it. At its heart, It isn’t just a scary story about a clown that eats kids. It’s a coming-of-age story about how the things you fear shape the person you become. And the way that it’s told, bouncing between two storylines, is an absolute blast.
- Can you tell us a little about the black moment in your book?
I’m going to be intentionally vague here, so as not to spoil anything, but one of the big themes in Taris the price of power. Whether it’s power in a relationship, power over your circumstances, or actual magical power, it always costs something. So in my black moment, a character tries to achieve as much power as possible…and learns just how much it costs.
- What is your favorite reality show?
I don’t watch a whole lot of reality TV, but my wife has been watching The Great British Baking Show, and I’ve gotta say…it’s kind of a breath of fresh air. It’s all so positive, and no one is a jerk to anyone, and I want to eat everything they make.
- Can you tell us a little bit about what it was like to write a series.
Tar isn’t exactly part of the series, but it is in the same universe as the books I wrote before—a trilogy about pirates who steal water and sell it on the black market. It’s called The Marian Trilogy, and it was originally supposed to be one standalone book. As I started writing the first one, I got to the end of the first act and realized I’d almost written enough for an entire novel. So rather than try to condense everything I’d written, I added a few extra plot points and beefed up each act of my original plan so that I’d have three complete books. It was definitely rewarding, but I’m not sure if I’ll come back to a series any time soon. That was a long time to spend in one world!
- Anything else you might want to add?
If you haven’t yet, go watch The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix. It is one of the best pieces of horror entertainment I’ve ever seen. It’s a prime example of what the genre can be when taken seriously by the people working with it.
BLURB:
Brendan Cobb calls it tar, but there might be as many names for it as cities left standing.
To some, it’s known as filth, or blight. Others call it the Black God in reverential whispers. Whatever name it takes, the effects are the same. Cities left in ruins. People turned into monsters. Living infections with no known cure. The best anyone can do is avoid it, but even that gets harder the more it spreads.
Brendan survives this waking nightmare by trading salvage for shelter and for repairs to his cybernetic arm, until a newcomer arrives, convinced Brendan is the key to ridding the world of tar once and for all. Reluctantly, Brendan and his mechanic join the newcomer on a journey across the desolate highways of a ruined world, where he learns the true history of the tar…and of the dark power inside him, which grows stronger every day.
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EXCERPT:
Tiger Stripe barked something harsh and insistent, but Brendan barely heard it. He’d descended into a place ruled by impulse and instinct. Coldness enveloped him as his legs pumped, pulling the tunnel in the debris ever closer.
Tile exploded a few inches from Brendan’s feet, an errant shot from Tiger Stripe’s blaster. He did not fire again—a wise decision, considering Brendan was running toward the only way out. The last thing anyone needed was a collapsed tunnel.
Just as Brendan wondered if he would escape, a sound roared behind him, speeding closer at an alarming rate. Metal joints pistoned over and over, faster than any human could move on his own.
Brendan glanced back. The kid with two mods in place of his legs was sprinting after Brendan. The slender prosthetics looked more like they belonged on an insect than a human. As the thought crossed his mind, a single word cut through the coldness that surrounded him. The salvagers were chanting.
“Grasshopper! GRASS! HA! PER! Grasshopper! GRASS! HA! PER!”
Grasshopper leaned forward as he ran, with an expression equal parts grin and grimace. Brendan didn’t want to fight him here, not with four other salvagers waiting to join. It would be cleaner if he could separate them and take them one by one.
None of these things occurred to Brendan as thoughts. They were instincts, like don’t touch a fire, or don’t breathe underwater. They passed through his mind in an instant, registering deep within his very core.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Taylor Hohulin is a radio personality by morning, a science fiction author by afternoon, and asleep by 9:30. He is the author of The Marian Trilogy, Tar, and other genre-blending works. He lives in West Des Moines, Iowa, with his wife, where they are owned by a dog and a cat.
https://www.facebook.com/taylorhohulinauthor/
https://tayhoho.wordpress.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Hohulin/e/B00DHTY20A/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1
The book will be on sale for $0.99.
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:
Taylor Hohulin will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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