Whispers of Power by Grim

4/27/2025

Multi-volume, multi-genre author Grim introduces us to the second volume in the Now Comes Grim series, “Whispers of Power”:
Before war consumes the galaxy, before the battlefield is drenched in blood, there are the whispers—of power, of betrayal, of men willing to sacrifice everything to shape the future.
In the shadow of military empires, two rising forces—Marcus Hound and Johnny Dorsea—begin their journey, not as warriors, but as boys bound by fate. Raised in a world where strategy is survival and leadership is instinct, they learn the rules of war before they ever step onto the battlefield.
But war is not just fought with weapons. Behind every mission, every victory, lurk those who pull the strings—politicians, spies, and unseen forces manipulating the galaxy’s fate. When a covert directive threatens everything they believe in, Marcus and Johnny must navigate a treacherous web of loyalty and deception, where the real enemy isn’t always the one holding a gun.
As battle lines blur and alliances fracture, the choices they make will define not just their future, but the fate of entire worlds. Because in war, power isn’t seized—it’s whispered into existence.

A wonderful story by itself! Even better as a prequel to Now Comes Grim. Marcus Hound is so smart! He is playing chess like a Vulcan when others are learning checkers. I found myself rooting for Marcus and Johnny over and over. I had to remind myself they are bad guys more than once.
I am committed to not giving spoilers, so the writing is quite good. The characters are very human with good and bad traits. The plot is full of twists and turns.
I read this so fast, maybe I should reread it. I will certainly enjoy it again.
4.9 stars because I am picky about certain things. You will love this story if you like a military angle, a little bit of spy craft, lots of sci-fi and human nature on display. Humans are so predictable most of the time.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Whispers-of-Power-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-whispers-of-power-by-grim

You can connect with the author:
https://twitter.com/GrimCalebWilcox
https://twitter.com/grimbooksllc
https://www.instagram.com/grimbooksllc

I have reviewed the first book in the series, Now Comes Grim here:
https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/now-comes-grim

tags: warriors, military, action, planets, space travel, war, terrorists, spies, intelligence, traitors,

Copyright © 2025 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

70 Comments

Grim

4/28/2025 08:00:36 am

Thank you for that honest assessment of this second book.
We highly recommend you to everyone that we interact with for honest reviews and painstaking details for editing.
God Spoed friend!

Mark

4/28/2025 08:53:42 am

You are most welcome. I loved the story.

When did you learn Dutch? God speed to you also friend.

A note to our visitors. This interview is continuing from the promotion of Now Comes Grim. The link for that is just above, click on Comments to open the interview below the review.

New question.

Have you ever done any theater, written a play or any screenwriting?

4/28/2025 09:02:27 am

As a child I was in the Drama Club in school. Helped with productions of my children’s theatrical performances.
Writing them?
No. I have never ventured into writing screenplays or other types of writing and only found my voice in novels because of a friend telling me I should write a book since the game I was writing for as the Gamemaster for was over.

Dutch? Learned a little in my early years in the military.

4/28/2025 12:17:09 pm

I think nearly everyone has tried drama at one time or another. Young children have no issues playing with dolls and action figures. When I was a young child action figures didn't exist. All I had to play with was little, green, army men and cowboys and indians.

I have recommended taking a screenwriting class to writers. That skill has a different perspective on writing that can be a useful tool in the future.

New question.

What kind of marketing, besides working with me this week, are you doing or planning on doing for your book?

4/28/2025 01:22:28 pm

Marketing…
Marketin…
Marketi…

Well.

Our strategies have fallen prey to those that say they are good enough for a little money. We self market for now.
Currently we are looking for a marketer that trusts their procedures and processes enough to actually take us on for a percentage of sales.
If they are good enough and the sales “soar” as they always say… then the percentage will gain them monetary success. If not, they prove that they may not be that good to begin with. However, we are done paying people that can not provide proof that they are as good as they say.
We do use Cathy’s Promos (On X @mcwilsonky ) and have had a good run with Joe’s Books (On X @motorcycles_4 ) and all his wonderful people.
We also go where the readers are … on X of course. The rest we are just wading into. Slow. Methodically. Purposefully.

4/28/2025 02:45:12 pm

A commission basis is a good idea for those who guarantee sales. It separates the wheat from the chaff. Unfortunately, it sounds like all you have found is chaff, so far. Truthfully, I am not surprised that is the case. Talk is cheap. There are many marketing scammers on X. They follow me daily and I kick them off of my follower list daily. I guarantee exposure, nothing more.

New question.

Do you have a favorite musical genre, song or musical artist?

4/28/2025 03:38:55 pm

Oh dear… musical groups.
Favorite was actually placed in my first book.
My writing requires several moods to be present almost at once.

I do like a good Beethoven when I need quiet scenes. Romantic ones usually get some sort of 80’s melodramatic sappy songs that decry love of something or someone and pull some emotions in people like myself that are better off left unseen.
The spy scenes require several songs that envoke the mind into thinking like 007. (A View To A Kill anyone??)

But for most of my writing and to keep it gritty and realistic I fall back to one song from G-N-R … Welcome to the Jungle … we played it a lot in country when looking for SCUD’s in ‘91. But the group Disturbed is my writing ‘go-to’. Almost every song they have has that gritty edge and true to message wording. Love it and they earned a special spot in my first novel.

I also enjoy Asian music and the Mongolian Throat Singers are a way for me to unwind.

4/28/2025 07:05:15 pm

That is an interesting bunch of music. I have heard similar thoughts from other writers. Many use music to help get in the mood for certain scenes. Mongolian throat singers? I have never heard of that. I love the singing in Chant, by Gregorian monks. I might like the Mongolian sound also.

I promoted two books by Linda Lingle Dear Heart and Sweet Heart a number of years ago. Many of Frank Sinatra's songs figure very prominently in the story line, especially the second book.

New question.

How do you know when a book is complete, and you should stop working on it?

4/28/2025 07:26:17 pm

Oh boy… that is a big question that many fresh authors have asked many times in the threads and on other sites.

To be honest it is different per book.
Now Comes Grim was a story that needed written. Part sci-fi, part reality, part autobiography.

Bit Whispers of Power??

I started by writing the last part of the last chapter… from the letter to Hound to the last word… written in advance and set aside.

That was my finality point. I started from a beginning and worked my way to that letter.

Word by word.
Spycraft by spycraft.
Twist by twist.

All to that final point. I needed only to let the reader see how the characters in NCG got their start. What made them who they are.

So it was a flight to a predetermined finish-line. Nothing more needed to be said.

4/29/2025 09:00:24 am

I have been recommending that method of writing for years. One of my guest-blog clients wrote a post about that very thing. Here is the copy-and-paste link or hit the search box below: http://www.wordrefiner.com/guest-blogs/non-linear-writing
This trick will work for any writer if you know how the story should end. If you don't know that then write whatever is the easiest to start.

There were a lot of twists in your story. I won't say more to avoid spoiling it for our visitors.

New question.

Did anything in the book come as a surprise while you were writing?

4/29/2025 11:10:47 am

My writing is not an organic stretch that I sit back and allow the characters to take it in a different direction.
Usually, I am inserting real people and real dialogue and real events into a fictional setting with my fictional characters.
So there are no ways for it to go off course, so to speak.
There was one exception… in NCG that fantastic crap called CoVID hit and my partner writer and I had to accomplish things over the internet via emails. I would write some, he would write some and so on. But that was only in that book and because of that condition.
Aside from that, I have the path already picked due to it basically being real.

4/29/2025 11:23:15 am

That is interesting. Real people, real dialogue and real events in a sci-fi setting. I don't know how many authors do that. It certainly seems easier to write that way. I think most authors use fictional characters that are sometimes based on real people in one fashion or another. They usually make sure no real person will recognize themselves or another person in the story. With your setting and events, I doubt anyone the characters are based on will know they provided the inspiration.

Some people who write a memoir can get into trouble when they do that, especially if they have done nothing to disguise who said what when.

I remember one author who told his extended family that whoever wanted to be a character in his book he would do it. He provided regular updates and things went well until he had a character do something that the aunt the character was based on didn't like. I don't think she spoke to him for a long time. He said he would never do something like that again.

New questions.

How much research did you have to do for this book?

What were the major topics?

4/29/2025 11:35:07 am

The biggest research for my book(s) was the exoplanets that are in the Goldilocks Zone and try to basically get the planet correct as best I could to make the inhabitants match what should be there. Of course I failed completely when new scopes can break down what type of planet it is (water, hot, cold, etc.).
With the advances in technology leaping almost every second, it is hard to keep up with it. But I got the names correct of the planets.

There was no other research needed for the book. The people are mainly people I know or knew in my lifetime. The twists and turns are from what I know and what I (we) did during my heyday in my life.

Power is whispered into existence by those that are there to change the outcome of life and to become the outcome. There are those among the public that have been there and done what is written (and they all know they are in the book(s)).

4/29/2025 01:25:30 pm

Research is proceeding faster than many of us can digest it. That is a certainty.

There are always those who want to control the outcomes at any given time. A little bit of success can cause much hubris.

New question.

How long did it take you to write the first draft?

4/29/2025 02:59:25 pm

That is a loaded question that not many like to hear the real answer to…

For me, the first draft is the last draft. It goes to editing immediately after the last word is written. No other drafts.

So, the reason people don’t like to hear that and what will follow is because most writers make multiple drafts and second guess their work.

The last part is this:
I am an insomniac since birth. I get by on a minimal amount of sleep per month.

I sit and write and don’t sleep until it is done.

Whispers took me from a Tuesday until Sunday. Up the entire time writing and eating.

Lay’s Stax BBQ is my go-to during the writing sessions. Also Diet Coke.

No one should think it is easy and no one should be jealous of how I write. Everyone is different.

4/29/2025 04:35:08 pm

That is certainly an unusual writing method. Most of us need hours of sleep every night. Many authors make anywhere from five drafts to nine or ten if it is a big book. Your writing rations are not all that uncommon; many authors have a favorite snack or beverage. I think that will make a good question to add to my list of interview questions.

New question.

Going back in time, did you do any kind of creative writing, even back in grade school?

4/29/2025 05:12:16 pm

I kind of remember a question like this from our first interview, but here goes:
Aside from the normal writing works required to graduate (prior to the decline of public schools), I never really wrote much else.
I did do poems as a way to pacify times. But I largely did not write normal things.

I got involved with Warhammer 40,000 as a player while in the military in 89 overseas. A way to pass time between assignments while TDY or deployed.
That lead to me becoming a Game Master (the group leader) years later. My immersive style of gaming made it so that everything on the 360-degree gameboard (open table with scenery) had something to see and do and persons that can be interacted with (NPCs).

They were so immersive that it made it fun for my players to play. They kept the same campaign going for 9 years!

As with my books, the things and people and places I used for the game were from real life. Made it easier to write.
NCG has part of the game actually in it as a main focus… though the people and places were real (names changed of course), that is the start of the entire campaign they played.
The game also had each NPC have a huge background. Usually back to childhood.
Enter Whispers of Power… the backstory for the characters of Hound and Johnny are laid bare and you can see how they weave into the main storyline of the entire series.

So, the long answer is ‘yes, kind of’, and the short answer is ‘not really unless you think this is writing as well’.
And, yup, the short answer takes longer to say.

4/30/2025 09:07:22 am

There may well be a similar question earlier on my list of questions. This question came from page nine.

Warhammer was part of the genesis of these stories, stories that you and friends lived out and played as a group role playing game. That is pretty cool.

I would call that writing. Character development is important to a good story. Some writers have a character book or board where they preserve details about each character. Sometimes they have pictures or have drawn what they think the character looks like.

The backstory of Marcus and Johnny has been leveraged into their own book. Well done.

New question.

How early was it that you realized how powerful words can be?

4/30/2025 09:14:51 am

My father taught me very young how powerful words are.

I watched him and learned as well as him teaching me to always watch my words, as they can injure a psyche or lift up the bereaved. Words can command men, or condemn the same man. Words can heal and words can cause laughter.

Words made me a leader among my peers.
Words made me an instructor for the military.
Words made me a leader among men.
Words made me go to war.
Words helped me come back from war in my mind.
Words helped keep the peace among nations around the tables I sat.

Words are very powerful.
And I only hope that the words in my novel, and the truth of those words as attached to real events, help someone else know how power is gained. How it is… whispered into existence.

4/30/2025 12:10:58 pm

Your father was a smart man.

The right words are usually few in number, when delivered in an appropriate fashion at the right time make them priceless.

New questions.

A lot of new authors struggle with finding beta readers. After the first draft is done, fresh eyes and feedback become very important.
Do you have alpha-readers and/or beta-readers to help you smooth out a lot of wrinkles before publishing?
If you don’t, why?
If you do, how did you find them?

4/30/2025 12:19:45 pm

I have a guy that actually went through checking for edits needed. That is the only person that read Whispers before I sent it to you.
Personally I don’t like beta readers much (though I do beta reading as part of our company model). I don’t like it because I know what I want the words to read like and, as I am self published, I feel a person will like my work or hate my work.
Changing story parts out because one person suggests to is not in my forte.
Because I don’t have a lot of readers, that is all it would be… my one reader saying something should be different. That becomes only a personal preference for that one reader.

Do I recommend readers?
Yes!
Surprised?
I recommend them on one condition… you have to have more than 5 and take a consensus on changes. Not just one persons ideas on your story.

Confused yet?
I just don’t have enough readers and my health is so bad that I don’t have time to wait on readers to get things back to me.
But I do recommend them to all authors especially if you are stuck or need a hint on where to go.

4/30/2025 02:29:51 pm

I knew your answer would differ from many other authors because your writing process is quite different.

I agree with you about multiple beta readers. I think having other writers for half and readers for the remaining number.

As I mentioned, many authors have difficulty finding good beta readers. The author needs readers who will be truthful about the problems they find. Sometimes family members can serve in that role if they understand the role they are filling otherwise no.

New questions.

At what stage in your writing process do you bring in the readers?

Do you give them an e-version like a PDF or a hard copy you printed?

4/30/2025 02:49:12 pm

I usually bring in my person (singular solitary figure usually) when I am stuck articulating a scene. I also call my compatriots that were there at a scene to ensure authentic and real scenes and conversations.
Aside from that… my solitary lone figure gets a paper copy of the entire book all at once. I do a line by line and he does a word by word and then a line by line.

4/30/2025 04:53:31 pm

That sounds pretty easy. Cut and dried.

You write fast, not having to sleep gives you a great advantage. Despite how fast you can produce a book, you weren't the author Amazon had in mind when they limited authors to uploading no more than three books a day.

New question.

Do you reward your beta reader in any particular way?

4/30/2025 05:04:22 pm

I reward my sole reader the only way I can…

Autographed numbered book.

4/30/2025 07:17:14 pm

That is a nice reward. Many authors do something very similar.

New question.

Do you have other writers you connect with, as in a critique group or support group?

4/30/2025 07:24:08 pm

Simple answer… no.

I talk to others about things like marketing and other things. However, not for writing the books.

5/1/2025 09:07:49 am

That is probably a wise choice. Some critique groups work well and some don't.

New question.

What is the most important thing you learned from publishing your latest book?

5/1/2025 09:14:29 am

Lessons learned this time are that we don’t need and shouldn’t have paid for the original company we used. They ripped us off and didn’t provide all they promised.

Our company learned that as well and strives to be better than that in all we do.

5/1/2025 11:22:01 am

The old adage remains truer than ever. If the promise seems too good to be true, it probably is. The scammers keep changing their pitches and tactics. We must remain skeptical and vigilant.

Your company will grow as you do. It will do well.

New question.

What are three things you wish you knew before you wrote your first book?

5/1/2025 11:40:01 am

Three things before the first book…

I wish I knew about wireless keyboards for the iPhone before that first one (typed all 225,873 words with my thumbs)

I wish I knew how bad the marketing truly is

I wish I knew how the whole process worked

5/1/2025 02:34:23 pm

Almost a quarter-million words? Wow! My thumbs are tired just thinking about it. I use a full-size, wireless keyboard for my laptop. My laptop doesn't have a separate number pad, but it fits in my backpack better. I have another wireless keyboard that I use with my phone when I have a lot of typing to do.

Marketing is a nightmare in so many ways for all of us.

Let me know when you find out how the whole process works. I have questions. We all have questions.

New question.

Do you have a hero, real or fictional?

5/1/2025 05:12:31 pm

That one is easy…
My father (deceased).
He was the strongest and most intelligent person I knew.
Followed in his footsteps almost to the ‘T’.

He had his flaws… but he was always there.

5/1/2025 06:23:55 pm

That is wonderful. Many authors have replied similarly.

New question.

What are three things that you love about writing?

5/1/2025 07:47:44 pm

That is a tricky question.

I don’t really like writing.

I have a story to tell and I tell it, but honestly? Some positive feedback always feels good and strokes the old man ego I have. But I didn’t write for the reviews… I just wanted to tell a story that the Library of Congress has to acknowledge.

5/2/2025 08:43:29 am

I think you are the first author to admit they don't like writing. Every other author has said they felt like they were born to write or they must write to quiet the voices in their head. Sure, they all bemoan the different problems inherent in the writing, publishing and marketing process but in the end, they love to write. That makes you an unusual writer, unique.

New question.

Is there a specific procedure to get your book into the Library of Congress? I have not asked this question before.

5/2/2025 09:36:59 am

Getting a book into the Library of Congress (LOC) typically happens through one of the following paths:

1. Mandatory Deposit (for U.S. publishers)
   •   Under U.S. copyright law, publishers are required to submit two copies of the best edition of every book published in the U.S. to the Library of Congress within 3 months of publication.
   •   This is called mandatory deposit, and it ensures the Library gets a comprehensive collection of published materials.
   •   However, inclusion in the permanent collection is not guaranteed — LOC staff decide what to retain based on relevance, quality, and space.

2. Preassigned Control Number (PCN) Program
   •   If you’re a self-publisher or small press, you can apply for a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) before publication through the PCN Program.
   •   Once the book is published, you send a copy to the LOC as part of the agreement, increasing the chances it will be added to the collection.

3. Special Submission or Acquisition
   •   In some cases, authors or publishers can request consideration by writing to the LOC’s acquisitions staff and submitting a review copy.
   •   The LOC may accept the book if it fits an area of interest, fills a gap in the collection, or is deemed culturally or historically significant.

This is how it is done. Because my books are self published and they also have significant value (veiled as sci-fi), the series will probably get an LOC number.
The application has been made already for all three books in the series.

5/2/2025 12:33:24 pm

Thank you for providing that information. It will be important for many authors.

New question.

The Now Comes Grim series is set in the far future. You could have chosen many different time periods.
Why and how did you choose this particular time period?

5/2/2025 05:04:25 pm

The raw truth is…

Censorship.

If it resembled operations in the least and had not much or no sci-fi in it, the censors may rise in like a misguided cavalry and censor the hell out of it.

As it is set and written, no one can guess correctly all the truth and all the bullshit that is a Sci-Fi fiction.
The truth of which is what will come out in my autobiography.

5/2/2025 07:30:48 pm

That makes sense. You are a brave man for writing an autobiography. But then, I am not a writer.

New question.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you have ever received from another writer?

5/2/2025 08:49:40 pm

The best advice I ever got is:

You are not known. Price accordingly.
Thanks Jen!!

5/3/2025 08:14:49 am

That is good advice, very succinct.

New question.

What has been the biggest surprise in your writing journey?

5/3/2025 08:28:31 am

This may not surprise you…

My biggest surprise was how many people actually like the writing and the journey my novels take them on.

I always said that my objective was to get one person I didn’t know, that I didn’t talk to directly, to buy the book and like it.

I have a loyal fan club of a handful now and am seriously thinking about a fan page for future writings to be revealed.

5/3/2025 10:37:47 am

Correct you are. I am not surprised. I have read all of my life. I was reding before the first grade. Anymore, I would prefer to read a good book than watch a movie or TV show.

Your fan club will keep growing as long as you can keep writing. Most readers love to discover that a new favorite author has more books they can read.

Having a website is essential for authors now and should include the opportunity for visitors to buy the books. It avoids the problem of putting all of your eggs into one basket. If Amazon ever decided they couldn't make the profit they want from books don't doubt they wouldn't shut it down. Do I think that will happen in the near future? No. Better safe than sorry.

New question.

What are common traps for beginning writers?

5/3/2025 11:24:31 am

That is the easiest question so far…

The most common mistake I see is this:

You (the new writer) are not JK Rowlings and you (the new writer) are not Stephan King…
Live with it. Just write and your audience will come to you. Indie writers build that base after several years of marketing and hocking their books.
I have three books that most love (not all of course), but my sales show I am a new author. Hell, I haven’t sold a book in awhile.

5/3/2025 03:54:54 pm

That is a reality check! Better than a bucket full of ice water.

New question.

Do you think a strong ego is an asset or liability for a writer and why?

5/3/2025 05:45:27 pm

Well…

I haven’t thought about that actually. Some say my ego is strong, I don’t think it is. I try to ensure my mind and body can cash the checks my ego writes.

Is it a bad thing?
Yes, not being able to market properly, not being able to able to sell books, having a shit ton of material hit the cutting room floor… all can enrage one with a huge ego.

However, to get the right marketing, the right words on the pages… takes an ego.

Sorry it is like that…

5/3/2025 05:53:40 pm

Good separation there. An author needs enough ego to persevere when the desired results are not forthcoming. Understanding that results are not handed out on a silver plate is acknowledging that more education and effort are needed.

Too much ego in a new author can result in a sub-standard book in any number of ways. Unwillingness to accept constructive criticism will perpetuate poor or no sales and reviews.

New question.

Other than every person on earth, who do you fervently wish would read your book?

5/3/2025 06:15:29 pm

Christopher Nolan.

Or

Denis Villeneuve

5/3/2025 06:22:43 pm

I was asked to elaborate as to why…

Well … they are two of the top producers of Sci-Fi films that utilize military themes.

5/3/2025 07:15:56 pm

Good choices. Be sure to get a good entertainment intellectual property lawyer when they offer a contract. More than one author has gotten roped into endless rewrites for little or nothing.

I do think your stories would make a dynamite movie trilogy. But the studio would probably change them drastically.

New questions.

Can you describe the demographic of your ideal reader?

Who is the person most likely to buy your book?

5/3/2025 07:19:30 pm

The demographic I have in mind is mainly military or ex-military.

The person most likely to buy the book? One that is alive (hopefully).
In this economy, I will take anyone that can afford it.

5/4/2025 07:40:31 am

That makes a lot of sense. Especially the last part.

New question.

Do you have an item or a routine you consider to be your writing lucky charm?

5/4/2025 07:43:30 am

The biggest routine is staying awake until it is written in whole.

Then the music selection… depends on which part I am writing.

Then the foods… I snack out like a fiend.

Those are about it for me.

5/4/2025 09:07:15 am

Those are simple. Though you are the only person who can write a book in one inspired swoop that I know of.

New question.

What is the biggest obstacle you face in writing?

5/4/2025 09:24:29 am

The biggest obstacle for me is I feel I suck at writing in general. I have to rely upon my personal experiences to develop story lines and dialogue.
I have seen other writers just invent stuff out of thin air and it’s pretty damn good.
I can’t.
I have to go with reality dressed as fiction.

5/4/2025 02:48:18 pm

Thank you for the candid answer. In more than one way, we are a lot alike. It would take me a great deal of work to write a book out of thin air. I certainly don't feel one trying to claw its way out of me. There are only a dozen or so plots, depending on who you talk to, the rest is window dressing and the author's voice. Like you, I am amazed at the stories people come up with sometimes.

New question.

Do you struggle with writer's block, if so, how do you overcome it?

5/4/2025 03:32:32 pm

I have never had a session of writers block.
I certainly am glad I didn’t as I stay up until it is written (even NCG).

5/4/2025 04:58:28 pm

For most writers, an inspiration block is a serious problem. Some take a break and do an enjoyable activity, or something routine and useful, not requiring much thought. I have recommended starting another project and work on it until the inspiration for WIP one returns.

New question.

Are there any issues that are peculiar to writing this genre that might not apply to other genres?

5/4/2025 05:03:09 pm

Interesting question.

The most peculiar thing I had to deal with due to it being sci-fi is that I have to keep planets and times of travel and all that in check.
Also, I had to invent new ways of doing things that didn’t rob from other authors and screenwriters. That was a real bear to keep up with.

5/4/2025 06:01:24 pm

The proximity of one planet to others is important whether they can go faster than light or not. There is a necessary amount of equality and balance of weapons and tactics between factions, or one side annihilates the other and much tension is lost. Stories thrive on tension at all levels. It is a most important ingredient.

Having to invent certain things can contribute to an author's voice and creating some separation from other authors and their stories. It would make an author's work that much harder.

New question.

Are there any writing styles or genres that you disliked at first but came to like after reading a book or two?

5/4/2025 06:52:24 pm

Short answer…
No.

If it is sitting in front of me, I will read it. I am not particular in content. I dislike lots of misspelled words… but I can’t talk much on that after trusting someone to edit and publish NCG that first time and it was atrocious and full of problems.

5/5/2025 08:10:31 am

Before I started on X, I read sci-fi and fantasy only, my favorite genres. Since I have been promoting books, I have read many other genres. Hist-fic and cozy mysteries are my 3rd and 4th favorite genres. I like others also but haven't decided on my fifth favorite genre. I now enjoy nearly anything that is written well.

Spelling errors jolt me out of the author's magic because the misspelled words jump off the page at me. I don't have to search for
them. I offer techniques in my latest blog to help an author spot those pesky errors. Copy-and-paste or hit the search box below:
https://www.wordrefiner.com/blog-words-for-thought/wye-is-it-sew-hard-too-proofreed-youre-own-work

New question.

Do you think reading, watching movies or listening to music help you be a better writer?

5/5/2025 08:54:19 am

Being a non-traditional author I use all the above.
I think a writer would run into more roadblocks and mind melts if they are not well rounded.

5/5/2025 10:50:00 am

I think it's important for a writer to be a reader also. A writer needs to be aware of what is happening in their genre because tropes and other things are always changing. Writers need to read outside their genre also to learn how other genres are written for new ideas and angles.

Many authors have told me that music helps the creative juices flow.

New question.

What type of book is your favorite guilty pleasure to read or listen to for fun?

5/5/2025 11:29:45 am

Game of Thrones.

Full stop on that.
The mastery of world building and dialogue is on full display in that series.

5/5/2025 01:42:47 pm

I saw some of that show. I should read the book one of these days. I was sure shocked when one of the good guys was executed.

Worldbuilding can be awesome! The world is a character in the story and can have a lot of impact. Many years ago, I read that Tolkien's Lord of The Rings story started out as a bedtime story for his children. I don't know if that is true, but it is a possibility. As a professor of languages, he got carried away in his worldbuilding for a bedtime story. Thankfully so because the world would be poorer without his epic masterpiece.

Last question.

Have you ever read a book that changed the way you look at writing?

In what way did your approach to writing change?

5/5/2025 02:05:48 pm

I do have an unfortunate response for this one…
No.

From all that I have read and all I have seen and all I have helped read and edit… nothing has actually changed the way I wrote or my thoughts on writing.
I marvel at the genius in a lot writers. I always will.
The way they weave yarns and arcs and plot lines and twists and turns still amazes me and will never dull my feelings and thoughts on writing in my own way. The amazing thing I have though??

I have met so many new faces in the writing world and interacted with some amazing minds in the literary corner.

For that… my mind will never change how I look at writing and at other writers.

5/5/2025 02:42:27 pm

Your writing process is unique in my mind. I have not met anyone who writes as you do.

I quite agree about meeting so many amazing authors and wonderful people on social media. The intricacies of writing deliver great reading!

Thank you, Grim, for hiring me to help promote your book "Whispers of Power". It is fabulous reading I hope our visitors go buy it and read it.

You have been a marvelous guest on the Word Refiner channel. Until next time, keep on writing.

5/5/2025 03:13:13 pm

Hired you???
My dear friend, I may have paid you, but using the word ‘hired’ is so not really what happened.

I sent you the book long before I sent you money and you loved it!

You became the first person in my fan club. I have many more now, but you read it and actually enjoyed it for what it was.

You also did the next book in the series and I look forward to hearing from you on that and taking this interview to an even more expanded area at the end of the month.

I always recommend you to everyone I talk with and whoever interacts with our company.

You are an awesome person, reliable and a good friend.

Whispers of Power by Grim

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