"Writing Fiction to Write Fiction" 

 

 

 

 

Christopher Hoare

I live with my wife, Shirley, and two shelter dogs, Coco and Emmie, in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. As a lad I lived, breathed, and dreamed aeroplanes; I won a place at RAE Farnborough learning to engineer them. But the reality didn’t fit my dream, so I took off into a stint in the army and then away to join the oil circus. Flying objects are tools when they now appear in my writing –  I guess that’s the effect of maturity, but I hope, not a constricted, resigned, and unimaginative maturity. The mind still soars, even without wings, and the dream of carrying others to a better future is now on the page.

 

Some readers comment that none of my stories take place next door to the lives most people live; the less charitable find similarity in characters who tend to be stubborn, independent, and out of step with the world’s expectations. Perhaps there’s a connection between the worlds I portray in fiction, and my working life in oil exploration in the Libyan Desert, the Canadian Arctic, and the mountains and forests of Western Canada.

 

I’ve written stories set in Anglo_Saxon Britain, in modern industrial projects, in the alternate world of Gaia, and the fantasy world of Rast. Sometimes I satirize jobs I’ve done. Many of my central characters are smart, beautiful, and dangerous women who lead unwilling males to fulfil the duties before them. Lt. Gisel Matah in “Deadly Enterprise” is perhaps the most Bond_like of these. I like writing novels about realities my readers can enjoy in the guise of dashing adventurers; loyal comrades; lovers; or pledged sovereigns. I hope they find there the spark that brings them to realize greater dreams of their own.

About Christopher Hoare and the Iskander Novels

 

My page on my publisher's site gives links to all my novels and to the two anthologies I have stories in, so if you want a quick look, go to http://www.double_dragon_ebooks.com/eAuthor.php?Name=Christopher%20Hoare where you will also find a short bio. I have this website at http://www.christopherhoare.ca and a blog at http://thewildcatsvictory.wordpress.com  and at http://www.trailowner.blogspot.com

Watch for updates at http://thewildcatsvictory.wordpress.com  as it’s where I post updates about new releases, promotions and the locations of prize givaways. I also make regular blog entries there ... well usually.

 

I have this key to the Iskander series novels posted elsewhere on this site but I’ll put it here as well, for readers who might want to follow the stories chronolgically:

 

Title  Status Time Sequence Description
Arrival Published 2343 Gaian Year Gisel is a sixteen year old.
Masquerade In Progress 2344 GY Gisel is a 17 year old officer trainee.
Iskander’s Wildcat Planned 2345 GY Gisel leads the 17th Light Infantry Company
Target Skrona Planned 2345 GY Gisel’s covert mission to Skrona
Gisel Matah and the Slave Ship (Free here) 2346 GY Gisel is an experienced lieutenant of 19
In Harm’s Way Planned 2346 GY Continues the maritime adventures.
Deadly Enterprise Published 2347 GY The mission to Lubitz. (First novel released)
The Wildcat’s Victory Published 2348 GY Major Gisel Matah leads 3rd Light Cavalry.
The Wildcat’s Burden Published 2349 GY Gisel is military governor of Skrona.
(To come) Projected   what would readers like to see?

 

There are other novels to come that are not Iskander series

 

My poor orphan fantasy novel “Rast” has had a very troubled life, but it’s going to be released by MuseItUp Publishing in March 2011. I actually completed Rast before Deadly Enterprise was published but made  the mistake of peddling it to some NY publishers who took months to decide it didn't fit with the rest of their list. I then sent it to a new publisher who took months before responding to my query with the info that they had decided not to publish fantasy novels. I then placed it with a small indie in Texas, who unfortunately was unable to keep up with her publishing schedule because of staff vacancies. I waited patiently as two years passed, attempting meanwhile to get some paperwork settled with the IRS who were scared they might miss out on a few cents here or there. After being turned down twice when I applied for the bureaucratic nonsense required, I decided to cut my losses and avoid having anything further to do with them. I wrote the publisher about getting the contract cancelled, and because the novel was still awaiting a revised slot in the still_slipping schedule, it was promptly returned.

 

The novel story takes place in an entirely original fantasy world, where arrogant materialists clash with the heirs to a magic kingdom. More info can be found on the Rast page on this website.

 

I have another speculative fiction novel called "Mindstream" in progress. It couples some of the more esoteric accounts of secret Tibetan Buddhist mysteries with modern cosmological theories, the future of NASA's space programs, and a loose cannon USAF general in some hi_jinks around a spaceflight convention in Denver. The protagonist is Michael Crumthorne, a retired lecturer in complex system theory who has founded a monastery where the teachings blend Tibetan Buddhism and cybernetics. Supporting cast includes the transgendered monk, Sandy, the beautiful and forbidden (to Crumthorne) astronaut Lisa Krebs, the xenophobic USAF General Elmer Libert with his ‘Death Star”, and a two headed demon called Claude and Horace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PUBLISHERS:

Double Dragon

MuseItUp Publishing

 

BLOGS:

Wildcat's Victory

Trailowner Blogspot

 

NEW EVENTS:

In celebration of the 200 year anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice on January 28th 1813 I have self published a novella called "Visiting Pemberly" at this location.

Visiting Pemberly

For more information about the book please click on its cover image below.

 

UPDATES:

Masquerade was released this April

Both Masquerade and The Wildcat’s Burden are available in paperback through the author, $12 each plus shipping and postage.  Email link

 

BOOK CLUB - SAMPLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Arrival

Deadly Enterprise

The Wildcat's Victory

The Wildcat's Burden

Rast

 

CONTACT:

kwhyte2@gmail.com