Author J.S. Chancellor - Blog Book Tour

J.S. Chancellor has a new book out:

Son of Ereubus - Guardians of Legend - Book One

J.S. Chancellor

J.S. Chancellor, whose personal motto is, “woe is the writer who mounts their merit on the masses,” started writing stories when she was still in grade school, and finished her first fantasy novella at the age of 14.

She drafted chapter one of the Guardians of Legend trilogy when she was a freshman in high school, sitting on a stool in front of a piano bench, in her parents’ den.

It wasn’t until she was 25 when a resident at the apartment complex where she worked lovingly made a casual remark about her procrastination that her passion for fantasy fiction took center stage.

Since then she’s focused all of her efforts on writing, to include leaving her full time job in September 2009 and actively maintaining a blog dedicated to the art of crafting fiction (www.welcometotheasylum.net). You can find her there, or her official website, www.jschancellor.com.

She currently resides in Georgia with her husband and two beloved dogs.

J.S. Chancellor gives me the great pleasure to be able to share her work and writing with my blog viewers. I have some prepared interview questions from the author which I would like to share.


As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

Well, in the second grade I announced that I was going to be a stand-up comedian. No, I’m not kidding. Then, after growing infatuated with Batman around age 12, I announced to my best friend at the time that I was going to become Catwoman. So, I suppose I sort of compromised and became an author, where I can be any number of impossible, ridiculous things.


What do you think makes a good story?

I can only answer this for myself, since “good” is subjective. But, ironically what I quantify as a good read isn’t in the genre I typically write in at all — it’s horror. I love to read horror, but dark fantasy is as close as I’ll ever come to penning it. Reading it though, I want to follow a story that has me on the edge of my seat, horrified, with a little bit of romantic tension thrown in for good measure (however slight). It has to appeal to all of my senses. I read a lot of Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine as a child and never got over the need to eat books like that for dinner — all in one sitting. Love them!


What advice could you give to other authors wanting to start out?

Have fun. No, really, I mean this. Enjoy your time as an unpublished author. Revel in writing only for yourself. All of it changes when you begin to involve other people in your work; publishers, editors, reviewers, readers … it’s a good thing, I don’t mean to put you off from accomplishing your goals. But, don’t take for granted where you’re at now. Those earlier experiences are what shape you later on. Think of this time as your foundation. You’ll only build on it from here, but it will never be unimportant or wasted time.

WHolstad:

Spoken like a true writer.  As a blogger and casual writer myself I can relate to wanting to get into the field of writing for a living.  I am sure many bloggers and viewers of blogs can relate to that sentiment.  Let's hope we all get there and wish for the prompt success of Mrs. Chancellor!

jschancellor@gmail.com

Sons of Ereubus at Barnes and Noble.

Excerpt:

Since time immemorial, Man has lived in fear of losing his soul to the darkness of Saint Ereubus. For generations, the Ereubinians have wielded that power and ruled like gods. Three thousand years ago, Man irresolutely placed his faith in a mythical world. That world, Adoria, now holds Man’s final hope.

As the last stronghold of Man is threatened, the fates of three strangers become forever intertwined and everything they once believed will be irrevocably changed as they discover...

Their time has run out.

The Story of my and my brother's original music.

http://www.myspace.com/mistlethistle

MistleThistle Biography

I met my brother some time after I was born. He is seven years older than me. His name is Tim and I am Walter. Tim and Walter Holstad. We started working on music together probably some time in 2007 I would estimate, maybe 2006. I was living at my mom's in Muskego at the time so we would practice in her living room on occasion or I would go over to my brother's apartment around 80th and Oklahoma in Milwaukee.

My brother is a very prolific writer and very determined. He writes a lot and makes a point to work very hard at his music. He is one of those people that were told to work hard in life and took it to heart I think. I on the other hand like to enjoy things in life and treating the music too seriously takes the fun out of it in my opinion. There is room for both. Certainly without some effort songs will not be written and polished to a decent level but if there is no heart or joy in your music it will sound lifeless and boring. I have about 15 or 20 songs that I have written. My brother has a lot but we play probably around 20 of his.

Our first show together was at my brother's wife's uncle's house in Minocqua, Wisconsin. We played out on the deck at his house on a lake. It was pretty fun and for the most part people enjoyed it. At the end we played a blues jam and people wanted us to keep playing but I was a little nervous and putting my guitar away at the time so we stopped.

I played a Battle of the Bands show in June of 2009. I played this show with my friends Ian and George and Tim did not play. Tim and I were not playing together at this time. We separated after working with a new drummer because the new mix of tension and egos was too much of a burden to continue. The battle of the bands show was at the Rave in a smaller side bar area. I had a lot of fun at that show and it went pretty well. We did about 6 songs, 5 originals and a cover of Eddie Vedder's Society.

Recently Tim, Chris ( the new drummer I spoke of ), and I got back together to play at a fashion show at Crisp bar that I had been invited to play at. The show was September 26th, 2010 and was a lot of fun. We had about 3 practices in the 2 weeks before the show and that was it so it was kind of tough. The songs were not fully polished and ready so the show had its ups and downs. It was good practice and there were some good parts for sure. I did get some applause after a guitar solo and some of the songs were pretty solid. It was definitely a learning experience and hopefully we will have more shows in the future to build on the experience of this one.

Some pictures of bluffs near Milwaukee, WI

Path to the edge.


Over the edge.






My car and fall tree.





Edge of cliff and beach below. On cliff's edge are shotgun shells I believe from trap shooting area.

Constantly Learning - Today and the Web

Constantly Learning

School mimics life
I am learning about using the web for business
Social Networking tools to increase sales
Or to make sales
My homework for one of my classes is basically to do more of what I am already doing.
Can't beat that.
I already need to stay focused and be productive. I already know that.
Now when I do so it benefits myself twofold.
Generally and specifically.
Specifically being that it is homework for class.
Generally being that it creates content on the web for people to view and increase their awareness of what I am doing and what I can offer them.

This seems to “beg the question” of what exactly it is that I can offer them. I may be able to sell them some of my music or I may be able to play at their bar with my band. I may be able to teach them guitar. I may be able to write a product review for their business or I may be able to actually come in and work at the office in some type of clerical role.

This is all possible and can be catalyzed through using the world wide web to advertise and market my product which in my case is basically myself.

Reading on the web we are constantly learning. Here is a link.

http://www.geofflawrence.com/photography_tutorial_portraits.php

As I read this entertaining article about photography I am not only entertaining myself but increasing my skill set. Therefore I may be able to take an interesting photograph that has value just by chance or I may be hired by somebody to take pictures for them for an occasion or event.

Constantly Learning

What a beautiful tool is the Internet and the World Wide Web.

My Web site: Walter Holstad dot com

http://www.walterholstad.com

A note on practicing scales.

It is more important when practicing scales to develop an ear by playing them around chords than it is to simply do wrote, technical practice of the scales by themselves. Try playing a chord and then playing the accompanying scale for that chord and you will notice how the G major scale for instance sounds if you play it directly after strumming a G major chord. You can also try playing a g minor scale over the G major chord or try playing a g minor scale over the G minor chord for that matter. Definitely play the G minor scale after strumming the G minor chord.

In this way you will learn to understand how the scales fit with the chords and how the sounds work together which is much better practice than simply running through scale diagrams although there is a place for that as well. Running through scale diagrams will increase your dexterity and comfort level with the guitar and also give you practice with alternate picking.

http://musicouch.com/music-making/guitar-lesson-three-open-chords-bar-chords-and-some-scales/

http://musicouch.com/instruments/string/guitar/guitar-lesson-two-the-g-major-chord-scale-and-more/

Baby Blue bob dylan guitar vocal

http://www.archive.org/details/BabyBlueBobDylanGuitarVocal