Where Words Foretell Worlds
Did you know a good dictionary will give you close to forty meanings of the word ‘play’? Yes, you read that right! You might also find it interesting to note that this cool word is actually derived from the Dutch word ‘plien’, which means ‘to leap for joy’ or ‘to rejoice’. Nevertheless, we don’t think we’d be wrong if we said you’d have used this word in more than one way while indulging in generic conversations.
Occasion solemn,
The music tiresome;
Assembly sodden,
A spooky cooee.
A man, young, desi,
With covered breast says:
Am dead can you see?
My soul is soaring!
Love. Hate. Betrayal. Romance. Horror. Hope. Separation. Reunion. Perry Martin’s debut novel, Pretty Flamingo, promises all of this and much more. It is a sublime tale that oscillates primarily between two time periods and two places: the late 1960s set in Brisbane, Australia, and the early 2000s largely set in California, the US. A poignant story of loss and separation, the novel does its best to address a metaphysical question you may have given a thought: Is it possible that we have ever lived before?
Villanelles, also known as villanesques, have always fascinated us, and we’re pretty sure they always will. But what exactly is a villanelle? What qualifies a poem as a villanelle? And is it easy to write one? In this post, we’ll answer these questions and explore one of poetry’s most intriguing fixed verse forms.
The English word villanelle is derived from the Italian villanella, meaning a rustic song or dance. In turn, villanella comes from villano, meaning a peasant. Originally, villanelles were imitations of peasant songs and did not follow any fixed poetic structure. Although the form was first developed by French poets and balladeers, most villanelles written today are in English. A villanelle is one of the best-known examples of fixed-verse poetry, the opposite of free verse.
Now that we know where the word villanelle comes from, let’s look at its defining characteristics. A villanelle is a short poem consisting of 19 lines. While these lines are generally concise, there is no prescribed length for each one. Likewise, there are no rules governing the number of syllables per line.
Although modern villanelles do not require a fixed meter, many nineteenth-century examples were written in trimeter. That said, tetrameter and pentameter have also been used successfully.
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As we’ve seen, a villanelle consists of 19 lines arranged into six stanzas. The first five stanzas are tercets (three lines each), while the final stanza is a quatrain (four lines).
The hallmark of a villanelle is its use of repetition. The first line of the opening tercet is repeated as the final line of the second and fourth tercets and as the penultimate line of the concluding quatrain. Likewise, the third line of the opening tercet reappears as the final line of the third and fifth tercets before concluding the poem as the final line of the quatrain. Minor variations are acceptable, but the repeated lines should remain recognisably the same.
In other words, every villanelle contains two refrains. It may sound like a lot of rules—and it is—but these very constraints are what give the form its distinctive musicality and emotional power.
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Writing a villanelle is no easy feat. In addition to its strict pattern of repeated lines, it follows a tightly controlled rhyme scheme. Only two rhyme sounds are used throughout the poem. Each tercet follows the ABA rhyme scheme, while the concluding quatrain follows ABAA.
The rhyme-and-refrain pattern may be represented as follows:
A¹bA² / abA¹ / abA² / abA¹ / abA² / abA¹A²
Here, A and B represent the rhyme sounds, while A¹ and A² denote the two refrains. Both refrains rhyme with the A sound.
A villanelle is a carefully structured poem that:
If you’d like to explore the form further, here are a few classic villanelles:
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A seagull he was then,
Soaring up in the clear sky.
His mates frolicking with him,
Looked at two ships nigh.
The Sun was shining when
To those ships he said buh-bye.
He saw them part their ways;
And just let out a sigh.
Passed away minutes ten,
Things went high and dry.
Water was all around though;
Sheer emptiness came by.
Clouds gathered again,
The Sun kept shining high.
Men went missing soon;
No idea how and why.
The ships now without men
Seemed eerie and awry.
The seagull soon heard a wren,
A wren that let out a cry.
A warrior who practised Zen,
Knew a tale hangs thereby.
So he took some coloured pens,
Drew this image after a try.
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Book: Sweet Southern Charm – A Short Murder Mystery
Genre: Mystery thriller
Author: Lanie Goodell
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: B Sudharsan
Sweet Southern Charm by indie author Lanie Goodell is not as sweet as its title suggests. It is a murder mystery after all, so it is supposed to be anything but sweet! The incredibly fast-paced story proves to be an interesting read, though. At least, I found the story refreshing, and after reading the story, I got the feeling of having read a crime novel in its entirety.
I suppose the reason for my feeling so is that Ms Goodell variegates the story by adding elements of mystery, romance, love, hate, and friendship – elements that you are sure to find in a crime novel. Furthermore, she does a great job of transporting the reader to the scenes she describes powerfully, employing crisp adjectives and vivid verbs. I took about half an hour to complete reading the book, but if you happen to be a slow reader, you might take about forty to fifty minutes to finish it, that is, if you read it in one go.
Sweet Southern Charm begins with an interaction between Janet Cramer, a ‘trashy’ woman living in a posh locality, and Chester Barfield, a guy masquerading as an employee of a company that offers a free assessment of personal security. The latter manages to make an entry to the former’s house, and it is what ensues that makes the story. Janet is found murdered, and investigator Georgia Beaumont and her subordinate Collin Cavanaugh are consequently roped in to figure out who perpetrated the crime. While the story on the one hand fast unravels the mystery, it also details the love-hate relationship Georgia and Collin share on the other.
Investigating the neighbours of the victim does form an integral part of the story, which also witnesses another murder bearing striking similarities to the first. A lady around the same age as Janet’s is found dead, and her body, like that of Janet, bears no wounds. Also, an eerie resemblance exists in the manner in which the dead bodies are left after the murder. All of this indicates that the perpetrator is a professional who knows his job well.
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Nonetheless, there is something that Georgia seems to be missing, something that she feels can provide a crucial link between the two cases. This ‘missing link’ adds magic to the story, thereby ensuring the reader continues to read with rapt attention. And why the book is titled the way it is titled is known thereupon.
Having said this, I think it is also important for me to mention that I unearthed the suspense halfway through, so a large part of my reading happened only to find out if what I had surmised was correct.
I would recommend this book to lovers of crime fiction who don’t have the time to sit through a long novel or who are perhaps looking forward to reading something interesting before hitting the hay. I myself happened to read this book last night, and I did not regret picking it up. It is free on Kindle Unlimited.
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Drema Deòraich has been writing for as long as she can remember, but it was only in 2014 that she decided to pursue the craft with renewed seriousness. Speaking with Literary Harbinger in an exclusive interview, the Virginia-based author, who holds an Associate’s Degree in Education, recalls how attending a writers’ conference in her city transformed her understanding of storytelling. Over the following years, she learnt how to make her writing ‘tighter, more focused, and more dynamic.’
Her breakthrough came in 2018, when her first published short story, Last Call, appeared in Silver Blade Magazine. The moment remains unforgettable for the writer. ‘I remember being so excited that I danced around my apartment for a solid ten minutes,’ she says with a laugh. More published short stories soon followed, and in 2022, she released her first novel. Soon afterwards came her ambitious science fiction trilogy, a project she had nurtured for years.
Drema’s debut novel, Entheóphage, arrived in 2022 and immediately stood apart for its chilling premise. Though centred on a pandemic, it was not inspired by the global crisis that gripped the world in the early 2020s. In fact, Drema completed the first draft in November 2019 — mere months before reality mirrored fiction in unsettling ways.
‘It was weird,’ she admits. ‘For a few months after the real pandemic began, I could not work on this book, or even look at it.’ The story’s emotional and thematic weight suddenly felt far too close to reality. Yet Drema eventually returned to the manuscript with renewed determination.
She later submitted the novel to the prestigious Pitch Wars competition in hopes of refining it further. Published UK author Anna Kaling selected the manuscript as her Pitch Wars project, and together they strengthened the tension, pacing, and overall marketability of the work.
However, when Drema began pitching the novel to agents and publishers in 2021, the publishing world was reluctant to embrace pandemic narratives. ‘No one was willing to take on a pandemic story,’ she explains. Undeterred, she decided to publish the work independently. ‘The climate message felt too important to put off until agents and publishers would be interested again,’ she says firmly.
Drema’s second published novel, Fallen, marked the beginning of The Founder’s Seed, an expansive science fiction trilogy she had spent years developing. The workshops she attended at writing conferences, coupled with the lessons she learnt during Pitch Wars, proved instrumental in shaping the trilogy into publishable form.
The subsequent instalments, Broken and Driven, followed soon after, further cementing her place as a distinctive voice in speculative fiction. Drema later published two novelettes — Jane Doe #7 and Deer in Headlights — both of which are currently available through Kindle Unlimited.
Her latest publication, meanwhile, is a compelling short-story collection titled Murder of Crows and Other Consequential Tales. The anthology gathers stories centred on the idea of ‘consequences,’ ranging from full-length short fiction to flash fiction pieces. ‘I have had a lot of fun with these stories,’ Drema says enthusiastically. ‘They do not encompass all my published short works, but they are all focused on the theme of consequences.’
For readers interested in multiple formats, Drema notes that all her works are available as ebooks. Murder of Crows and her four full-length novels are also available in paperback, while the novels themselves have been adapted into audiobooks narrated by the award-winning Stacey Lind.
When asked whether she outlines meticulously or writes instinctively, Drema answers without hesitation: she is fundamentally a planner. ‘Writing by the seat of my pants results in stories that wander far and wide from the story’s focus,’ she explains. ‘I prefer to outline and use that as a roadmap.’
Having an ending in mind, she says, gives her a destination towards which the narrative can steadily progress. Yet she is not rigidly attached to structure. If her characters begin steering the story in a different direction during the writing process, she is more than willing to abandon the original outline and begin anew.
Balancing writing with a day job at a local attorney’s office is not always easy, and she often writes whenever time permits. Still, storytelling remains the centre around which her life revolves.
Among the writers who have profoundly influenced her work are Frank Herbert and Ursula K. Le Guin. Drema greatly admires Herbert’s storytelling and praises his son’s continuation of the legendary Dune saga.
What draws her most strongly to Herbert and Le Guin, however, is their willingness to confront ethical dilemmas and philosophical questions through fiction. ‘They wrote stories that asked questions and posed ethical quandaries for their characters to resolve and for their readers to ponder,’ she explains. ‘This is what I try to do in my own work.’
For Drema, writing itself was never really a choice. ‘It was always a given that I would write,’ she says.
Publishing, nonetheless, was a deliberate and conscious step. She acknowledges the immense labour involved in independently producing books that are professionally edited, polished, and well-presented.
Be that as it may, she ultimately felt her stories carried themes and emotional truths worth sharing with readers. ‘I decided to stop writing stories just for myself and share them with others,’ she reflects.
Outside literature, Drema finds peace and inspiration in the natural world. She enjoys observing birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife in their native habitats, often gravitating towards ponds and streams in hopes of spotting turtles and water birds.
She also maintains a small garden focused primarily on native plants, hoping to create sustainable habitats for local wildlife. Watching caterpillars thrive on the plants she has cultivated gives her immense satisfaction.
‘It is quite rewarding when I see caterpillars from the butterflies growing and thriving on plants I placed in our yard as an offering!’ she says warmly. Daily walks and spending time with her two cats also remain among her favourite pursuits.
Drema is currently working on a new trilogy tentatively titled The Nexus, which will serve as a continuation of The Founder’s Seed universe. Characters who once occupied secondary roles in the earlier trilogy will now take centre stage. Where the previous books explored acceptance, survival, and the meaning of humanity, this new series will focus more deeply on trafficking and the complicated bonds of family — both biological and chosen.
Book One has largely been written and now awaits revision, while the remaining instalments are already mapped out. Alongside this trilogy, Drema is also developing a novella titled Cleanup Crew. The story follows a protagonist who is unknowingly immortal, gradually uncovering truths about systems of power and control that silence dissenters and eliminate challengers.
Having navigated the unpredictable terrain of independent publishing herself, Drema deeply understands the discouragement many writers face when their work struggles to gain visibility. ‘You are not alone,’ she says reassuringly. ‘Most of us are in the same boat at one time or another.’
She strongly encourages aspiring and independent writers to seek out supportive writing communities, whether online or in person. Such groups, she believes, can provide not only emotional encouragement but also practical assistance — from beta readers and ARC reviewers to marketing advice and creative guidance during difficult periods. ‘Sometimes all you need is someone who can listen and understand,’ she says. ‘Author groups can fill that space.’
As the interview draws to a close, Drema is asked what one thing she would change about the world if she could. Her answer is thoughtful and measured. ‘It is not easy to pick just one thing,’ she says, acknowledging how difficult it can be to predict the long-term consequences of even the best intentions. Yet if forced to choose, her answer becomes beautifully simple: ‘I would change hate to compassion. We need more of that in this world.’
Before signing off, she leaves readers with one final appeal — a reminder of how vital reviews and ratings are for independent authors, particularly on platforms like Amazon. Even a brief review or star rating, she explains, can dramatically improve a book’s visibility and help connect writers with potential readers. And for lower ratings, she urges readers to explain their criticisms constructively. ‘We writers can usually take constructive criticism,’ she says with sincerity. ‘And so, we appreciate it!’
With her profound love for storytelling and her unwavering faith in compassion, Drema Deòraich continues to create worlds that challenge the mind, stir the conscience, and linger in the reader’s imagination long after the story ends.
Sometimes all you need is someone who can listen and understand. Author groups can fill that space.
~ DREMA DEÒRAICH
ENGAGE WITH LH | Click on the cover image of the book you wish to read and buy yourself a copy right off the bat!
Author Emilio Iasiello always liked creating stories from an early age. ‘My Grade IV teacher in school was instrumental in encouraging creative writing, and I took to it immediately,’ he says, speaking with Literary Harbinger in an exclusive interaction. ‘She was my first big inspiration,’ he states, adding that later, he used to write for the school paper, which was more like a five-page stapled mimeograph that came out every Friday.
‘In Grades VII and VIII, I wrote a serial story that would go four weeks before it concluded, and another story would begin. I used to have parents come up to me in the parking lot on Fridays when they picked up their kids and pump me for information on what was going to happen. They were reading my stories and genuinely seemed to like them! After that, I was hooked,’ the Virginia-based author, who is also a strategic cyber intelligence analyst, lets us know.
Fortunate enough to publish several books, Emilio shares that his first one, Chasing the Green, was based on a true story and that he worked with the person about whom it was written. ‘My next publication was a book of short stories entitled Why People Do What They Do, which had started when I was getting my MFA at George Mason University,’ he says. ‘I followed that up with my literary fiction novel, The Girl Behind the Glass, a middle-grade fiction book called The Web Paige Chronicles, and a thriller entitled Attrition,’ he adds.
Emilio also launched a book in October 2022 called The Dark. He tells us that it is his homage to a ghost story he heard as a camper when he went away to summer camp during the summer. Speaking about its plot, Emilio shares, ‘A dysfunctional family retreats into a secluded cabin in the woods where a mysterious person tries to steal their ten-year-old son. What first starts playfully increasingly turns more malevolent until he is finally taken, and his parents must scramble to save him.’
On being asked if he usually plans out his stories well in advance or flies by the seat of his pants, Emilio, who is almost always with a small notepad and pen wherever he goes lest he forget the ideas that come to his mind while he is not writing, tells us categorically that each story comes differently. ‘Sometimes, it is a scenario that I cannot get out of my mind. I think of something that interests me and try to figure out what happens next,’ he explains. ‘Sometimes, a character might come to mind, and I try to put him or her into situations and figure out what they would do. These are general springboards for me, and the more I think about them, the more excited I become,’ he adds.
The writer, who happens to be a huge fan of getting up early in the morning and writing, nonetheless clarifies that he usually has a general outline but never knows the ending before he writes. ‘I prefer to let the story unfold organically and let my characters dictate how the story ends,’ he lets on. ‘When I have tried to write a story around an ending, it never seems to work for me.’
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An avid reader, Emilio has many favourite authors. On being asked who those favourite authors are, we are told that, having written novels, short stories, poetry, and stage plays produced in the theatre, and having written five screenplays for low-budget films that have been produced, it is hard for Emilio to narrow down a favourite author list because they cross over all disciplines of writing. ‘But if I had to pin down a few favourites, they would include, but are certainly not limited to, F Scott Fitzgerald, Raymond Carver, Sam Shepard, David Mamet, Anne Sexton, Stephen King, and William Goldman,’ he shares, stressing that he loves these authors for how they write, the subject matters they cover, and how well they craft stories that just suck him into them.
So, was becoming an author a conscious decision Emilio made? Says the author, who feels his degree in Fine Arts was vital for preparing him for future criticism and how to use the criticism he faces to make him a better writer, ‘It has been a conscious decision to want to become a writer, but I believe I was already headed there anyway. I liked to make up stories and liked to have people read them. I tried to fill what I thought was a void of the types of stories that I would like to read and that no one was writing. So, from that perspective, I would say that it was a conscious decision to want to be a writer.’
The idea of becoming a published author gradually developed over time. ‘But it was the desire to be a writer first that was the key stepping stone,’ he explains.
Conceding that juggling writing and other tasks is no child’s play, Emilio, whose hobbies extend to family activities, especially watching his kids play sports or watching them explore and pursue their interests, tells us that he feels there is never enough time for writing, working a full-time job in a non-creative field, and managing a family. ‘But what it has taught me is to be a better time manager and to really maximize the time I am awake. I have found that if I can invest at least some time during the day in writing, I keep the creative wolf at the door,’ he explains, adding that he also wants to be supportive of all his children wish to do.
Be that as it may, Emilio’s goal has always been to be a full-fledged author who can earn enough money to contribute to the financial stability of the household. ‘I am not there yet, but I am happy with how that is progressing,’ the writer shares with us. His first goal has nevertheless been to publish work that he has written. Success was secondary to that.
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As someone who feels empathy is a powerful equaliser that, if adopted and practised, might go far in reducing some of the problems we see in the world today in everything from politics and geography to economics and social interaction, Emilio is clearly not bereft of ideas.
He says that after The Dark, his next books have focused on things that he has experienced. ‘I really want to mine things from my own life and tell stories that I think are accessible to everyone,’ he lets on. ‘The ages 10–14 were important years in my own development, and I think I have interesting things to share with readers. Growing up in a diverse neighbourhood, summer camp experiences, and influential role models who were not my immediate family are some of the subjects of my works.’
And is there anything he wishes to tell budding authors, especially those who lose motivation if their works are not received well? ‘Keep writing! The thing that makes a person a writer is writing. As long as you put words on the page, you are a writer,’ declares Emilio, who has also studied Spanish for several years in high school and college.
‘There is a reason you walk into a bookstore and see so many books there – there is something for everyone!’ he exclaims. ‘So if someone does not like your book, that is only one person’s opinion. Maybe they were not the right audience for that particular story, but maybe the next one will be. Finding audiences may take a while, may require word of mouth or more aggressive marketing, but it will come. The biggest crime a writer can commit is to give up or take criticism personally. Learn from it and move on from it, but always keep writing,’ he says with certainty before signing off.
Keep writing! The thing that makes a person a writer is writing. As long as you put words on the page, you are a writer.
~ EMILIO IASIELLO
ENGAGE WITH LH | Click on the cover image of the book you wish to read and buy yourself a copy right off the bat!
PS: Emilio Iasiello is fairly active on Facebook and would appreciate anyone reaching out to connect or start a conversation. You can follow his page here. The writer’s X handle is @iasiello_e.
I have two quotes that I live by, or at least try to live by. As someone deeply interested in philosophy, I have read many of the ancient Stoic philosophers, and two quotes have stayed with me like a child clinging to its mother’s umbilical cord. One, attributed to Seneca, goes: ‘We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.’ The other, ‘A man who suffers before it is necessary suffers more than is necessary,’ is also attributed to him.
There is another quote that I came across as a child in a book titled Krishna Suktas. I am fairly certain many of you may have encountered it somewhere: ‘If a problem can be solved, there is no need to worry about it, and if a problem cannot be solved, there is no use worrying about it.’
I call these quotes to mind whenever I grow anxious. I remind myself that I am merely to witness what unfolds around me and that I can only control the controllables. We oftentimes worry about things beyond our control, and that is what leads to mental suffering. The only way for us to lead a mentally peaceful life is to remind ourselves that brooding over problems is not going to solve them.
I can explain this further with an example. I must admit here that I am scared of dogs, or perhaps, more specifically, rabid animals. A few years ago, I came across a news report about a college student and animal lover who passed away after contracting rabies. Ever since then, I have avoided dogs. Dogs are aplenty where I live, and even though they usually do not bite, my mind immediately tells me to stay away lest I should be bitten.
The point is simply this: if I do not get bitten, I have nothing to worry about, and if I do get bitten, I already know the next course of action: taking anti-rabies vaccines. Worrying over something that has not happened is foolishness, to say the least. But boy, our minds do play games, do they not?
I would like to write an etheree today to drive home the point:
Why
do you
worry when
you know you can’t
solve what’s oft called a
plight or predicament?
Dwell on what can be controlled,
dear you, for uncontrollables
should not be pondered now or ever;
and let this thought sink well into your mind.
PS: This post was initially published on bsudharsan.net. It has been republished here with the author’s permission.
Author Maurice Perkins wrote short stories at school in the 1960s and had others published during the 1980s. Nevertheless, he says writing was never his primary profession for most of his life. ‘My writing career for many years was limited to business development and submitting tenders for contracts,’ he lets on, speaking with Literary Harbinger in an exclusive interaction. The 67-year-old, who currently lives at Stockport in Greater Manchester, the United Kingdom, says it took the Covid pandemic in 2020 to reignite his passion for storytelling. Spending more time reflecting on life encouraged him to return to creative writing after decades away from it. ‘It took Covid in 2020 to reignite my passion for sharing stories,’ he shares.
Speaking about one of his latest books, Revenge, Maurice says the story was inspired by something he witnessed years ago. He says he expanded the idea dramatically to make it more gripping and intense. ‘Old ex-military men with dormant skills stumble into a gang turf war with disastrous consequences,’ he shares, revealing that several characters in the novel are based on real people he knows personally.
Although the individuals do not possess the dangerous skills seen in the book, he borrowed their personalities and mannerisms to shape the characters. ‘It allowed me to incorporate all of their idiosyncrasies into some humorous dialogue. They also acted as the initial beta readers. It is quite brutal and has some tough dialogue,’ Maurice lets us know.
The author says social media unexpectedly played a major role in his return to writing. He had been sharing personal experiences online, many of them funny, difficult, or emotional, and people encouraged him to document them properly. According to Maurice, that support made him realise his stories deserved a more permanent home.
‘It also made me realise that my grandchildren may never hear me tell those raucous stories as they grow old enough to hear them and I remain compos mentis enough to tell them,’ he says. That thought eventually pushed him to write three books based on his life experiences. ‘So, I wrote three books about my life so far, told through a series of funny and sometimes sad stories. It was so they could hear them in my own words and not retold by others,’ he lets on.
Maurice admits he never expected his books to become as successful as they have been. The positive response from readers gave him the confidence to pursue larger fictional ideas that had remained in his imagination for years. One of those ideas became his dystopian novel Quest.
The novel explores survival in a world where resources are steadily disappearing. ‘A motley group travels west in search of answers while trying to survive against the odds,’ Maurice explains. ‘However, there are others, from a different time and a different place, who are also trying to survive. The futures of both groups are inextricably linked.’
Asked whether he carefully plans his plots or writes more instinctively, Maurice says he begins with a rough structure. He usually creates a simple outline featuring the chronology of events and the key characters he believes the story requires. From there, the process becomes far more flexible and organic. ‘I then overlay that with set-piece scenes or events that I want included,’ he explains.
The notes are either pinned to the wall in front of his writing desk or organised on a spreadsheet displayed on a separate screen. Even then, he says the original structure rarely survives unchanged. ‘It could be that the chronology does not work or I need to introduce another character, or eliminate one during editing,’ he tells us. According to Maurice, stories naturally evolve during the writing process and often take unexpected directions. ‘The story then evolves as it must to create the image I want the reader to understand,’ he adds.
Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher series, happens to be Maurice’s favourite writer. He admires Child’s ability to combine dry humour with action-packed storytelling and problem-solving. Maurice says those qualities strongly appeal to him as a reader and writer. ‘I also like Frank Herbert, who wrote the Dune series, recently adapted into films again,’ Maurice shares, adding that the scale of Herbert’s fictional universe and its theological depth left a strong impression on him.
Maurice, who usually writes only when he feels genuinely inspired and prefers to work away from distractions, insists becoming an author was never part of a long-term plan. Instead, he describes it as an accidental consequence of sharing stories online and discovering that readers connected with them. Even now, he admits balancing writing with family life and friendships can sometimes be difficult.
Currently, Maurice is preparing a rough outline for another novel while also gathering ideas for a fresh collection of humorous personal stories. Despite his growing readership, he insists writing remains a passion project rather than a business venture. ‘I am retired and being an author is a hobby,’ he says, adding that he has set the price of his books at a modest level and therefore it will never become a sustainable source of income. According to him, financial success was never the motivation behind his work. ‘It is about sharing the stories in my head,’ he tells us.
For aspiring indie authors, Maurice believes authenticity matters more than perfection. He encourages writers to trust their instincts and avoid overthinking the process too early. ‘Remain creative and be true to yourself. Write what you want to write and, somewhere out there, you will find the right audience,’ he says.
Maurice also believes excessive research can sometimes damage creativity instead of strengthening it. ‘You need to write the story down as you see it and then check it afterwards,’ he explains. ‘If you spend too much time researching when you should be writing, it can limit your creativity, in my humble opinion.’
Finally, when asked what he would most like to change about the world, Maurice’s answer is immediate and deeply personal. He says he would eliminate wars of every kind because innocent people are always the ones who suffer most. ‘It is always the innocent who suffer in wars, rarely the people who start them. People in the military can only do what they are commanded to do,’ he says, signing off.
If you spend too much time researching when you should be writing, it can limit your creativity, in my humble opinion.
~ MAURICE PERKINS
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Tony DiGerolamo has been writing since childhood although not quite in the way most literary careers begin. ‘When I was in first grade, the school had a short story contest for a McDonald’s hamburger,’ he says, beginning his interaction with Literary Harbinger. ‘I kept winning until the school asked me to stop entering so one of the other kids could win,’ he adds.
It is the kind of origin story that feels strangely perfect for a writer whose work thrives on absurdity and chaos. Beneath the punchlines, however, lies something more enduring: decades of commitment to storytelling and relentless creative output.
For more than three decades Tony has immersed himself in the folklore of South Jersey, particularly the mythology surrounding the Jersey Devil. That fascination eventually evolved into The Pineys, a comedy-horror novella series centred on a family of hunters tracking the monstrous kin of the Jersey Devil through the wilds of New Jersey.
‘The Pineys books are kind of the culmination of that,’ he explains. Through the series he introduces readers not only to monsters and mayhem but also to the folktales and strange cultural textures of South Jersey itself.
The premise is deliberately outrageous. He describes the series as ‘Ghostbusters only with drunken hillbillies and guns in South Jersey.’ Yet behind the irreverence lies careful worldbuilding and long-term planning.
Unlike writers who discover stories entirely as they write, Tony often begins with endings. ‘Normally, I come up with an ending, then start at the beginning and work my way there,’ he lets on.
With The Pineys series specifically the process has become increasingly interconnected. While finishing one book, he is already considering the next so he can plant clues and narrative threads ahead of time.
Other projects operate differently. His Wokeistan series, for example, remained dormant until he recently discovered what the third installment should become. ‘Now I have to find time to write it,’ he remarks.
Among the authors who shaped him most are Kurt Vonnegut, Hunter S Thompson, William Goldman, Frank Miller, and several others whose work blends sharp storytelling with distinctive voice.
‘I guess they inspire me because I feel good after a reading and then I want to create something kinda like that,’ Tony tells us.
These days, however, time for reading has become increasingly scarce. Writing, promotion, and production consume most of his hours.
Tony writes late at night when distractions finally disappear. ‘At night, when the phone and the emails stop,’ he says, adding, ‘Very late with iced tea.’
The image feels almost cinematic: a writer hunched over scripts and manuscripts while the world sleeps around him.
Currently residing in Laurel Springs the 58-year-old author holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications. Unlike many writers who stumble unexpectedly into publication, he speaks with certainty when asked whether becoming an author was a conscious decision.
‘Yes.’
Outside fiction his interests orbit around politics, which he follows ‘like sports.’ He also creates YouTube videos, both as creative outlet and promotional tool.
‘I live like a monk and mostly spend time writing and selling my books,’ he says.
That discipline is perhaps unsurprising considering the sheer variety of projects attached to his name. Long before The Pineys Tony built an eclectic writing career spanning comics, television comedy, websites, and games.
Among his most recognisable credits are writing for The Simpsons Comics published by Bongo Comics, contributing jokes to Politically Incorrect hosted by Bill Maher, and scripting material connected to Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
He has also written for comic books, games, Comedy Central, and Cracked.com.
When asked what advice he would give aspiring writers struggling with rejection or poor sales, Tony responds with ruthless humour.
‘Quit. I do not need the competition.’
What follows is less comforting pep talk and more verbal provocation. He dismisses the fantasy of literary glamour and argues that genuine writers persist because they cannot imagine doing otherwise.
‘Many people do not want to be writers. What they want is a room full of people asking for their autograph and calling them clever,’ he says. ‘If you want to write, do it; push through.’
Then comes the line that perhaps encapsulates his entire philosophy: ‘WHY AREN’T YOU WRITING RIGHT NOW?!’
His daily routine unfolds with relentless repetition. Writing scripts for The Webcomic Factory, organising signings at libraries and breweries, making YouTube videos, responding to freelance opportunities, and continuing work on The Pineys series all compete for space within a single day.
Somewhere in between come walks with the dog, dinners with his parents, and attempts to sleep before beginning again the next morning.
Four to six times a month he also conducts live signings to support himself financially.
If there is one thing Tony wants readers to understand, it is that The Pineys was designed to be fun. Fast-paced, comedic, and unapologetically strange the books function almost like episodic television while remaining steeped in regional folklore.
Readers unfamiliar with South Jersey need not worry, he insists. The stories are accessible to everyone while still preserving the flavour of the place that inspired them.
For a writer who once dominated elementary school hamburger contests relentless productivity appears to have been the point all along.
Many people do not want to be writers. What they want is a room full of people asking for their autograph and calling them clever. If you want to write, do it; push through.
~ TONY DIGEROLAMO
ENGAGE WITH LH | Click on the cover image of the book you wish to read and buy yourself a copy right off the bat!
Author C R Helix knows well the distance between an idea and a finished novel. ‘It took me twelve years to get Sanguine from an idea into a publishable form,’ they tell Literary Harbinger, reflecting on a writing journey shaped as much by persistence as imagination. Before stepping into the world of sprawling fantasy epics, they mostly wrote flash fiction, stories compressed into only a few thousand words. Expanding from brevity into the architecture of a full-length novel required an entirely new discipline.
‘You do not realise just how much organisation is necessary to keep a story angling straight over the course of a hundred thousand words,’ they remark. The solution came in the form of notebooks. ‘A lot of notebooks.’
Their debut long-form work, Sanguine: The City of Spires, released only a few years ago after, as they put it, ‘sitting on the shelf a bit too long.’ Set in the dangerous city of Vesper, the novel follows Zahra, a young woman forced to survive after the murder of her brother throws her into the brutality of the streets.
Though the novel embraces classic fantasy elements such as magic, monsters, and sword fights, C R Helix deliberately shifts focus away from the genre’s usual obsession with royalty and prophecy. ‘I try to keep the story focused on more average folks instead of the usual focus on kings and princes, chosen ones, and heirs to the throne,’ they explain.
The book forms the opening chapter of The Longshadow of Jera series, a larger world populated not by legendary heroes but by ordinary people attempting to survive amid political intrigue and chaos.
When asked whether they begin with fully formed plots or discover the story while writing, the answer is somewhere in between. Some stories arrive almost complete before the first word is written, while others emerge unexpectedly and demand attention before explanations can catch up.
Their work, The Phoenix King, began exactly that way. ‘I knew basically nothing about it before it demanded to be written,’ they say. The first scene came through a dream, becoming the spark for an entirely new narrative.
This spontaneity makes writing feel ‘more lively and spontaneous,’ though it also creates complications. ‘You tend to write yourself into corners,’ they admit. To balance freedom with coherence, they rely on what they call ‘waypoints’, loose narrative landmarks that guide the story without suffocating it.
Among the writers who have influenced them most is Peter F Hamilton, whose science fiction novels they admire for their immense scale, worldbuilding, and terrifying alien concepts.
More recently, they have developed a fascination with horror short fiction, especially works connected to the SCP Foundation universe. One particular favourite is There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm. ‘It is mind-bending stuff,’ they say. ‘Conceptually amazing.’
Their admiration lies not only in the ideas themselves but in the intricate way such stories are constructed. ‘I wish I could weave my writing together like that.’
There was once a time when writing happened every single day. Though that routine has slipped somewhat in recent years, publishing Sanguine represents an attempt to return fully to the craft. ‘I have too many unfinished drafts just sitting there, waiting to be pummelled into something readable,’ they joke.
For years they participated in National Novel Writing Month, commonly known as NaNoWriMo, where writers attempt to draft an entire novel during November. Much of their unfinished work originated there. Beyond productivity, the event provided something equally important: community. ‘It is a really supportive community,’ they say.
Currently based somewhere among the old mining towns of Scotland, C R Helix describes village life with a mixture of humour and affection. Winters may be bleak, but they also provide space for observation and storytelling. ‘You hear a lot of stories from people that can end up being the basis of something.’
Though they describe themselves as having ‘not much schooling,’ they are currently pursuing a law degree part-time. Having already obtained a diploma, they are now working toward a bachelor’s degree. ‘The closer I get to the end of it, the further away it seems,’ they remark.
Beyond writing, animals occupy a major place in their life, especially chickens. Fancy breeds with feathers atop their heads are a particular favourite. At one point, they owned twenty-three of them. ‘You can teach them some pretty neat tricks,’ they say enthusiastically before describing the peculiar joy of ordering fertilised eggs through the post and hatching them at home.
There is also a cat, occasional oil painting and a love for travelling through natural landscapes and historical ruins. ‘Nothing better than wandering the winding streets of an ancient city or leaving your footprints on a desolate beach.’
At present, they are editing the second volume of The Longshadow of Jera, continuing Zahra’s story beyond The City of Spires. Alongside it sits The Phoenix King, a radically different project involving tyrannical angels, stubborn turtle people, and a post-apocalyptic desert world.
Though becoming a full-time author remains uncertain, they continue pushing their stories outward in the hope that readers will discover them. ‘I can only imagine!’ they say when asked about becoming a full-fledged author.
Success, they believe, should not be measured solely by recognition or sales. ‘As long as you have someone reading your books, you are successful,’ they insist. Writing for fame alone, they feel, is a mistake.
Asked about their daily routine, they laugh at how ordinary it sounds. ‘Writing, not the fun kind either. Then I will be reading tomes of law where I can barely pronounce the words.’ Somewhere in between, there is usually the matter of tripping over the cat and trying to make progress on their own fiction.
If there is one thing they would change about the world, however, the answer turns serious. Humanity’s continued dependence on fossil fuels and the destruction of habitats deeply troubles them. ‘Honestly you have got to wonder whether it is not too late for us already,’ they reflect, before linking the issue to wider economic inequality.
They speak English, though when asked about other languages, they reply with dry humour: ‘Do you count Scots?’
Before signing off, C R Helix mentions having a partial map of the world of Sanguine, a detail that feels fitting for a writer so invested in journeys and the architecture of imagined worlds.
As long as you have someone reading your books, you are successful.
~ C.R. HELIX
ENGAGE WITH LH | Click on the cover image of the book you wish to read and buy yourself a copy right off the bat!
Author Gavin Prinsloo did not begin writing with publication in mind. Writing emerged instead from a deeply personal struggle during one of the most uncertain periods in recent memory. ‘I started writing in 2020 with the pandemic after suffering a mental health challenge,’ the South African poet tells Literary Harbinger. What began as an emotional outlet gradually transformed into a prolific literary journey rooted in imagination and introspection.
Since beginning his writing journey, Gavin has authored four books, all centred primarily on poetry and free verse. The series, Pieces of My Mind, is available on Amazon and spans an eclectic range of themes and moods. Volume One explores a mixed genre approach, while Volume Two delves into gods, myths, and legends. Volume Three, Eros Awakened, ventures into more sensual and adult territory. A fourth volume, Philosophy & Sharp Stones, is nearing release.
Alongside these collections, he has also recently published Souls Desire, a collaborative hardcover project that combines original colour photographic art with descriptive poetry. The work stands apart for its visual-literary fusion and high-end presentation, reflecting an ambition to create poetry not merely as text, but as immersive experience.
Unlike authors who meticulously outline plots and characters before writing, Gavin’s process is instinctive and immediate. ‘No, I publish what comes to mind,’ he says simply. There are no elaborate frameworks or carefully engineered structures behind the work. Emotion leads, and the writing follows.
This spontaneity is perhaps what gives his poetry its rawness and immediacy. Rather than constructing stories from a distance, he allows thought and feeling to arrive unfiltered onto the page.
Among the writers who have left a lasting impression on him are Edgar Allan Poe and Robert Frost. ‘The pinnacle of poetic skills,’ he calls them.
The admiration is unsurprising. Both poets are remembered for their emotional intensity, rhythmic command and ability to confront darkness without losing lyrical beauty — qualities echoed subtly in Gavin’s own outlook toward writing.
For Gavin, writing is not something confined to a timetable. ‘I write all the time. I am an emotional writer,’ he explains. Inspiration is not summoned artificially but emerges organically from lived experience and emotional states.
This refusal to compartmentalise creativity has allowed writing to become inseparable from daily existence rather than merely another task to complete.
Currently residing in Cape Town, the 56-year-old writer describes himself as ‘56 years young.’ Outside literature, much of his emotional energy is devoted to helping others. He spends time on TikTok and speaks warmly about his affection for his dogs.
Becoming an author, however, was never part of a carefully designed plan. ‘Not actually,’ he says when asked whether it was a conscious decision. Encouragement from poetry groups gradually persuaded him to take his work seriously and move toward publication.
Even now, Gavin’s literary ambitions continue expanding. He is currently completing a fifth poetry collection while simultaneously working on two novels. Though unemployed at present, he remains open to wherever writing may lead him. ‘Let’s see what happens?’ he remarks with characteristic openness.
For aspiring writers discouraged by poor sales or lack of recognition, his advice is both practical and philosophical. ‘You don’t publish a book for sales; you publish to realise a dream,’ he says. ‘After that, book sales are a bonus.’
Gavin believes authenticity is what ultimately connects writers and readers. ‘Write for YOU, then readers will find you in the characters.’ His reflections on life itself carry the same contemplative weight.
If there is one thing he would change about the world, it would be humanity’s relationship with time and legacy. ‘Life is hazardously short,’ he says, adding that leaving something meaningful behind matters far more than accumulating wealth.
As for routine, he laughs at the very notion of it. ‘Lol… what routine? The bonus of trying to be a writer is that your time is your own,’ Gavin, who also speaks Afrikaans and ‘a smattering of Xhosa’ says, reflecting the multilingual texture of South African life.
He leaves readers with a final thought that encapsulates both his philosophy and his journey as a writer: ‘If you have a dream, don’t let anyone wake you up to ‘reality’. Fulfil your dream, for your time is shorter than you realise.’
You don’t publish a book for sales; you publish to realise a dream. After that, book sales are a bonus.
~ GAVIN PRINSLOO
ENGAGE WITH LH | Click on the cover image of the book you wish to read and buy yourself a copy right off the bat!
