Category: Author Spotlight

Author Spotlight: Michael G. Williams

Erin Penn


Book Cover from Amazon

Michael G. Williams is a regular at ConCarolinas and, as such, I have had the opportunity to snap up each book of The Withrow Chronicles when it becomes available. Even better, I have talked directly to the author about his own personal challenge for the series. Not only is he following the vampire genre, but for each book within the series he is choosing a different subgenre to keep things fresh. 

Once a reader is in on this particular “secret” the series takes on additional fun, seeing what road Mr. Williams will take us down with Withrow Surrett. In the first book, Perishables, our stay-at-home vampire experiences the Zombie Apocalypse genre and has to decide if saving his Homeowners association is worth the effort. Book two is a Detective Noir entitled “Tooth & Nail” and drags poor Withrow even further out of his safe little world into the hills of Transylvania – county, North Carolina (I laughed really, really long when I realized my adopted state had a Transylvania County). During book two Withrow’s insane cousin Roderick comes into his own. You will rarely meet a more compelling, funny, scary as sh*t character. Actions Roderick takes often has me rereading the Chronicles just to figure out which twisty-turn the boy pulled off. He makes Batman’s Joker look sane and safe.

In Deal with the Devil, the subgenre is Superhero. Mr. Williams doesn’t get all the nuances and tropes of superpower prose like his did with Zombie horror, but he does an admirable job. Since superhero is a favorite genre of mine, my expectations bar is higher. On the other hand, this book’s power comes from changing The Withrow Chronicles from a series of completely independent books with continuing characters to a true series with changes tying together an ongoing, overarching plotline. While each story of the series can be a stand alone, this book is a must-read for series fans. Deal with the Devil refers back to both of the preceding stories so I would recommend reading the first two stories first, though it is not required. While not the best book of the series, Deal with the Devil makes the series.

Book four, Attempted Immortality, is a complete Thriller ride. Still unquestionably a vampire book, the thriller subgenre drives non-stop action from the opening scene to closing. Withrow and Roderick run from one end of a small beach town to the other as it gets blown up and burnt down around their ears. The Thriller subgenre suits Mr. Williams action- and humor-oriented writing style, though he admitted on Facebook some long writing sessions to meet the challenge of keeping momentum going while also forwarding plotline and characterization.

Book five, Nobody Gets Out Alive, is still being written. And he hasn’t said what the genre is yet! According to his plans, this will complete the series.

I admire Mr. Williams for attempting such a complicated task to further his writing skill. In addition, the gentleman is well-spoken at convention panels, friendly when bumped into, and approachable at his table.

Author Spotlight: Wen Spencer

Erin Penn

Amazon Cover

Wen Spencer has been bouncing around the US for a while. After living in Pittsburgh and Boston, she has wisely chosen to settle in Hawaii. Her first novels were the Ukiah Oregon series, a fast-paced blend of mystery and fantasy. Her Elfholme series focuses on Tinker, a genius, dealing with a Pittsburgh split between two dimensions – one of which has elves and monsters.

I find her stand-alone books to be some of her strongest works with Brother’s Price (a personal favorite) and The Black Wolves of Boston.

Her books feature strong characters in a fantastical situation, but deeply rooted in the character’s reality. For example, Tinker works in a scrap yard and loves riding bikes. Each book’s voice is powerful and unique, you might like one series and not another – so look at the book samples and see if any strike your fancy.

Author Spotlight: Michael Z. Williamson

Erin Penn

Amazon Cover

Science Fiction tends to gather some highly political writers. As people explore “what if”, they follow paths from where humanity is now – with government, science, and culture – and predict possible ways each of these may develop. Robert Heinlein was known for his extreme views. John Scalzi made a splash with his political blog long before his writing caught public attention. Octavia E. Butler explore many cultural aspects in her writing. And Ayn Rand had a cult following in her day.

Michael Z. Williamson may be added to the list of exceptional writers who explore the possible future they believe may work for humanity. An immigrant from the UK and Canada, he served in the US military. He plays in the SCA, and I see him every Pennsic – to find out what book he had published by Baen this year.

I might not always agree with his politics or his vision of the future, but his stories are always interesting. If you like Heinlein, you will like his stories.

Author Spotlight: L. Frank Baum

Erin Penn

Amazon Cover

I would be remiss if I didn’t bring the spotlight on L. Frank Baum and his incredible Wizard of Oz series.

A female protagonist – strong and my age at the time I read them. Changed my world … changed a lot of women’s worlds. Dorothy went on the adventure and the others supported her. She killed the witches. She stood up to those in power.

Then the next book, The Marvelous Land of Oz, continued the story – but now the main character was a boy (Tip). EXCEPT, he becomes a she – Ozma of Oz – the rightful ruler of the land!

Mr. Baum supported the suffrage movement of his day, to the point of being the secretary for the local suffrage club. I can’t go all gooey over him, because he was still a product of his day and his views on PoC are definitely not 2017 approved.

But he did many things which have helped create the 2017 we live in. His strong female characters. His transgender character. His asexual leanings, removing nearly all romance from his books.

Reading his books is always a good day.