Guest Blogger: G.D. Ogan

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Please welcome author G.D Ogan to blog today.

immortal_relations

What inspired this story?

As it says on the first page of my first novel, “Immortal Relations,” when I found the old photographs of my father standing in front of the Old Town Hall Clock in Prague, I turned the photograph over and saw HER handwriting on the back…that brought back the memories of what my Mother had said all those many, many years ago…that night I couldn’t sleep and it was as if I “channeled” the story.

Do you have a favorite scene or character from the book?

When Gary is accepted into the Guardian’s to allow him to be forever with Magdalena and Eviana, it’s as if the Heavenly Angles gave voice to his feelings of love!

Was there anything particularly challenging about writing this?

If I told you how easy it was to write you wouldn’t believe me, all I can relate it to is “Channeling.” Now AFTER it was written, oh boy the difficulties with getting my first novel noticed by potential readers…WOW has THAT EVER BEEN DIFFICULT! Without blogs such as this I doubt there is any way someone new to authorship would have any chance to get their work read. And to me that is my goal – t o have others enjoy my books.

How did it compare to writing your other books?

At the time of writing my first novel, I had only written factual articles for magazines and a book on assessment and treatment of ADD and ADHD while working in psychology, programs for treatment of addictions in criminal justice and technical writing while in the Air Force. The freedom to allow my mind to create the world of the good vampires as well as the evil types was exhilarating and it felt like my soul had been freed to explore the heavens!

If your heroine had a theme song what would it be?

She is so lovely and so caring it would have to be a classical piece, something like “Clair de Lune” I would have to believe. If you could see her now as I do in my mind’s eye, your eyes would be as moist as mine are now!

What character gave you the toughest time to write in the book?

 I hate an evil person (human or immortal) that is the reason I had to write about the good vampires who safeguard humans and animals, so writing about Lt. Semenov and his evil vampire gang wasn’t easy…creepy and evil to the core…yet such villains do exist and in great numbers. I’m ex-military and the evil I know of perpetrated by our enemies…well, I would never put THAT in a book…readers would throw-up! I had to tone down the exploration of Semenov’s wartime background for just that reason – yet it will still shock some sheltered readers. My first book has “explicit togetherness” however, it was never meant to be salacious, rather it is a confirmation of their complete openness and love, plus vampires don’t have human hang-ups about sex. I have a WARNING about ADULT CONTENT in the front of the book and while some might be shocked by the details of love making…I meant it more for the acts of Semenov.

Which character is most like you or unlike you?

Oh, Gary Logan (Guy Ogan) big jump there. Gary IS my character, my military knowledge and background as well as my “passionate nature.” LOL

Any chance of a sequel or a spin-off with one of the other characters?

The two sequels: “Immortal Relations, Love and War” http://amzn.com/B006ZCBT6G and “Immortal Relations Coming Out” (not that type of coming out) is now out in print and will soon be available for Kindle and Kindle App: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1481822780 (print version) and both my first and second are “on sale” for 99 cents and I’ll try to do the same for book #3. There will be at least three more “Immortal Relations” books (Good Lord Willing) as I’ve been dreaming about what my good vampires are up to and what the evil vamps and evil humans are planning to do. Believe it or not, I’m currently writing a children’s book: “Lily and the Time Buggie” for my five year old granddaughter who loves dinosaurs…we are going back to the Devonian Era and work our way forward through the various Epochs of Time to view the changes in the Earth and the Animals on it. Due to the technical nature of time-travel, it will be a book to be READ TO CHILDREN rather than one they might pick up and read themselves.

Who would your ideal cast be if a movie was made?

 Actually the female and male leads of  “Underworld” Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman would do well, as both have been in vampire films (if far darker than what mine would be). They could be Magdalena and Gary and perhaps the actress who played Alice in Twilight would work for the high-energy, lovely pixy that is Eviana in my vampire world.

If your book had a soundtrack, what kind of songs would be on it?

I’m a fan of a wide spectrum of music from rock through classical, but I’d defer to the fans of my books to help decide upon the music that would be the best fit. I really LOVE the first song they used in the first movie of the Twilight series, it fit so well as the plane lifted off from Phoenix and her father’s car crossed the bridge! I think the song “Here I Go Again” for Gary’s flight to see the location where his father’s picture was taken might work. But I would certainly want to have input from others, more versed in today’s groups and their music to suggest songs for different parts of one or more movies (and mention their help in the credits for picking out the various songs – I always like to give credit to others who help).

Do you have any writing rituals?

I write whenever I get the chance. I’m a care giver for our four Pomeranians and try to help around the house in addition to other pursuits so I don’t get as much time to write as I’d like. If I don’t have destractions,

What do you like best about being a writer?

When I get time to really sit down and immerse myself in the world of my good vampires and all the fine work they do to protect and defend humans and animals it gives me a feeling that I can only describe as “Heaven on Earth!” For the flip-side of Heaven, that comes when I must try to publicize my writings. While I love it when someone appreciates the books I’m not one to seek praise…praise the story and the brave, selfless, guardian vampires in the story – not me…as I’ve said before, it is as if I’m channeling what my Muse is letting me write (and I’m thankful to be allowed to do so).

What is your writing process like?

That is easy, sit down and write until something or someone forces me to stop. I’ve started writing at six in the evening and been writing along when I feel a physical “calling” and look up and it will be four in the morning. Wth my own Attention Deficit I’m never at a loss for ideas and since I dream in the storyline many nights, it is pretty seamless to put it into the digital format (a lot easier than when writing in longhand)!  Young people today probably have little experience with writing in longhand…lucky them!

If you get writer’s block, what do you do to snap yourself out of it?

Hah…writer’s block?! My problem is the reverse: “Writer’s Tsunami,” moderationg the crashing waves of ideas and memories relating to the topic at hand.

What would your dream writing space look like?

Something with more room for my long legs and more shelf space for my research materials – I write in what was a 48” by 48” Sewing Closet that my late Mother-in-Law wanted built in when we asked her to come and live with us after her husband (my best friend) passed away. We were more than happy to have her stay with us – she was a wonderful lady and a good friend…none of the “Mother-in-Law friction” so many talk about. This little space was next to her bed and it, a walk-in clothes-closet and a ¼ bathroom along with a dining room was what we added on when she came to live with us. We were lucky to have her for eight years before she passed away. She was a nurse and stayed active until a few days before her death. I miss both her and her husband!

What’s one thing that’s always on your desk?

My writing closet doesn’t have room for a desk, but the shelf upon which my keyboard and monitor sit always has various papers with research materials, communications from other authors I mean to respond to and some would say a lot of trash. LOL

What would readers be surprised to know about you?

Looking at me now (I’m in my 70s), they wouldn’t suspect that I used to love to dance and run marathons. My daily training regimen was running 15 miles in the morning and another 15 miles in the evening (while it was still light). I did that for many, many, many years. I used to keep a log of my daily runs and we added them up while I was in the service and still running (just not as much because of the work I did) and I’d logged in over 300,000 miles at that time, so it is no wonder I have the hip and knee pains I now have, but I still get around fairly well…just no more running (a shame as I REALLY LOVED TO RUN – when I ran I always got the runner’s high)!

What was the last book to be added to your keeper shelf?

Well, of course, now it is “What was the last book to be added to my Kindle?” Revelations of Cian is my most recent read and Augusta Fern is going to be the next Ann Rice I predict. Get this book as her second in the series has just been released and you’ll want to hop right into that one.

Do you organize your TBR pile?

Afraid not, I read whatever looks interesting at the time (I have over 100 books on my TBR list on my Kindle). I try to read about two a week – my problem is I usually pick up three or four new ones every week (so the faster I read it seems the further behind I get)! LOL

If you could have a dinner party with six people, dead or alive, real or fictional, who would you invite and why?

Unquestionably Jesus would be first on the list and then I would try to get the five most evil men in the world (usually this means leaders of countries or evil regions that encourage killing those who don’t agree with that religious view). We could all sit, listen and hopefully learn to be more compassionate and exchange evil for good! I certainly don’t exclude myself from learning to be more caring.

What’s next for you

As I said earlier, I’m writing a little book to be read to children about the different ages of the Earth and the types of animals representative of that era (especially dinosaurs) since that is what my granddaughter is really interested in. And, you’ve heard it here first: My next “Immortal Relations” novel will be titled: “Immortal Relations – REVENGE!” Spoiler Alert: For those who have read the first book in the series, remember the “vampire gang” was made up of all male vampires? Where were all the female vampires and where did they go? There, that is a hint as to what some of the story-line in the fourth book will be. LOL

5 Replies to “Guest Blogger: G.D. Ogan”

  1. Immortal Relations is a great story, rich with history and ripe with great intimacy between characters. I have yet to read the second book in the series but I am excited to start it!! 🙂 Keep up the fantastic work Guy!!

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