INTERVIEW: Fantasy Author Brett Comeau

Brett Comeau 

Harrisburg,PA 

USA

 

Good morning, Brett, and welcome to Vision and Verse.

What have you written?

 

My first novel was released Jan 15 the book is titled “Nameless 

Vs the Army of the Dead” Book one in the Nameless Saga. 

 

What is your favorite genre to write?

 

Fantasy, is my first love, I have several fantasy series that I am 

working on right now, I am beginning to think about 

experimenting and writing a Sci Fi series but my true love is 

fantasy. 

 

Favorite food.

 

Cheeseburger and steak. 

 

Tea or coffee?

Tea, Coffee makes me sick. 

 

Pizza or ice cream?

Ice cream, I like a good slice of pizza, but I can’t have ice cream 

in my house lol because I would eat it all. 

You know, I think we could be friends. Wine or beer or soda?

 

Wine if I am having dinner with me wife, but Old Fashioned 

when I am relaxing. 

 

Where would you like to visit?

So many places, - Ireland, Japan, New Zealand and Australia 

are top of my list. 

 

Favorite musical artist.  

Aerosmith, I grew up one town over from where they came from

and I met the lead singer Stephen Tyler several times and he is 

a really cool guy. 

 

Do you listen to music when you write?  What?

I have gotten into two cellos right now I love popular rock music 

with a “classic feel” like two cellos. 

 

What makes you laugh?

So many things! There are many things that make me laugh. 

One character that makes me laugh is snoopy. I love him in the 

comic strip, (seeing him typing on a typewriter makes me laugh) 

 

Favorite work of art or sculpture.

I don’t really have a favorite piece of art, I have art styles I really

enjoy  Realism, realist landscapes are two of my favorite styles 

 

How old were you when you started writing?

I started out writing movie scripts, years ago with a partner, but 

realizing that it costs millions of dollars to produce a movie, I got 

into writing my first novel 18 months ago. 

 

Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just 

write?

Planning and outlining is my thing! I always joke that I never get 

writers block during the first draft because I get all my writers 

block out of the way during the outlining phase. My outlines are 

usually anywhere from 80 to 100 pages before I start my first 

draft. 

 

Describe your perfect evening.

Dinner with my wife, followed by writing after she goes to bed. 

She goes to bed early but I am a night owl. 

 

Where do you get your inspiration?

I get my inspiration from my ADHD brain, I call it my super 

power lol I think random thoughts all the time and I suddenly the 

random thoughts I was having suddenly become the idea for a 

cool story or a great addition to the story I am working on.  

 

 

What do you do when you get a writer's block?

I usually get writing block during the outline stage, I usually go 

practice martial arts. Something about focusing on martial arts 

allows my brain to work in the background, that is where I cure 

my writers block. 

 

Who is your favorite author?

Stephen King, he had so many stories that I loved the 

gunslinger series is an example of an epic series of books that 

spanned my entire life. I love a lot of his books. 

 

Best book you ever read.

Tough call, Probably The Wizard and Glass by Stephen King, 

The book is my favorite book in my favorite series. 

 

Last book you read.

I am really into He who fights monsters series, It was my first 

experience in RPG Lit the author set up a “game system” 

universe that totally made sense. 

 

What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?

I would love to be a super hero, but that is a hard gig to get 

 

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the 

most and why?

As far a becoming an author my Mother, she gave me my love 

of reading which led me to becoming an author. 

 

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, 

living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?

James Patterson, I’m not a huge fan of his books, but I am a 

HUGE fan of his writing process and Marketing Process. While 

Harry Potter is the biggest series of all time, But outside of Harry 

Potter JK Rowling hasn’t had a ton of success, James Patterson 

has over 100 best sellers! That is wild! I would love to sit and 

talk writing and marketing with him. 

 

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a 

writer?

Be hard on your writing we live in a world with zero gatekeepers 

stopping us from publishing our book, but that means you have 

the responsibility to make sure the work you publish is the 

strongest possible. Also invest in a professional book cover, 

anyone who says don’t judge a book by its cover has never 

been a self publisher! 

 

Do you have some links for us to follow you?

 

BOOK LINK:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQ4LQKXFqdAdD

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BOOK REVIEW: The Shaman’s Secret, A Manny Rivera Mystery by Rich Curtin

 I am always sad when I finish a Manny Rivera book. I miss him already. The Shaman’s Secret by Rich Curtin is another well written, well plotted Southwest mystery with my favorite Deputy Sheriff, Manny Rivera. Deputy Rivera has not one, but  two mysteries to solve in this one but Manny, as always, up to the challenge. 

The topic of wildlife conservation is timely and so relevant. The ancient petroglyphs introduced a new topic of Southwest history that I found very interesting. 

I love Curtin’s descriptions of the gorgeous four corners area of our country, and it immediately brings me back to my beloved Southwest. And Manny is one of the best fictional lawmen in current literary fiction. 

Yo, Netflix! This would make a great TV series.

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ART: Vogue, The Art of Helen Dryden

Vogue: The Art of Helen Dryden 

                           

All Information and photos from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


Helen Dryden
Born November 5, 1887
Baltimore, Maryland
Died July 1981 (aged 93)


Helen Dryden (1887 – 1981) was an American artist and successful industrial designer in the 
1920s and 1930s. She was reportedly described by the New York Times as being the highest
paid woman artist in the United States, though she lived in comparative poverty in later years.

Dryden was born in Baltimore and moved to Philadelphia when she was seven years old to
attend Eden Hall. During her early childhood years Dryden showed unusual artistic ability, 
designing and selling clothes for paper dolls. Eventually she sold a set of her paper dolls and 
dresses to a newspaper for use in its fashion section. This in turn led to a position as illustrator 
for Anne Rittenhouse's fashion articles in the Philadelphia Public Ledger and The Philadelphia 
Press.
                                                    

Dryden was largely self-trained, describing her works as "a combination of things I like, in 
the way I want to do them." Her artistic education consisted of four years of training in 
landscape painting under Hugh Breckinridge and one summer school session at the 
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Deciding that she had no real interest in landscape 
painting, Dryden focused her complete attention on fashion design and illustration.

Career
Fashion illustration
After moving to New York in 1909, Dryden spent a year trying to interest fashion magazines 
in her drawings. None, however, showed any interest in her work and many were harsh with 
criticism. Dryden was particularly disappointed in her rejection by Vogue. Less than a year 
later, however, Condé Nast Publications assumed management of Vogue and set out to make 
changes. Upon seeing Dryden's drawings, they directed the fashion editor to contact her 
immediately. The result was a Vogue contract that led to a 13-year collaboration (1909–1922) 
during which she produced many fashion illustrations and magazine covers. Her "essentially 
romantic style produced some of the most appealing, yet fantastical images on Vogue covers, 
frequently depicting imagined rather than realistic representations of dress." She also 
illustrated other Condé Nast titles, including Vanity Fair and House and Garden.

Costume design
In addition to her prolific career as an illustrator, in 1914 Dryden launched a successful career 
as a costume designer. She designed the scenery and some of the costumes for the musical 
comedy Watch Your Step, followed by designs for several other stage plays including Clair 
de Lune, the fanciful drama based loosely on a Victor Hugo romance. Although the play 
starred Lionel and Ethel Barrymore, Helen Dryden's costume designs were generally given 
equal credit for the play's success.                                       

Industrial design
Following the 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels 
Modernes, Dryden turned her attention to industrial design, producing a number of designs 
for tableware, lamps, and other housewares, for the Revere Corporation. She had a highly 
paid job with the Dura Company until the stock market crash of 1929, at which point she 
was replaced by George W. Walker.[6] It seems Dryden never fully recovered from this blow. 
According to Christopher Gray, "The 1925 census recorded her living at 9 East 10th Street 
with her 25-year-old Philippine-born cook and butler, Ricardo Lampitok.

Dryden worked for Studebaker from 1934 to 1937, reportedly earning $100,000 per year. 
Automotive designer Raymond Loewy contracted with her to help him design Studebaker 
interiors.[8] Her work on the interior of the 1936 Studebaker Dictator and President that 
established Helen Dryden as an important twentieth-century industrial designer. The 
advertisements by the automaker proclaimed, "It's styled by Helen Dryden." Dryden designed
the Studebaker President throughout, and the press marveled that a woman had attained this 
eminence in mechanical engineering. She was considered "one of the top industrial designers 
and one of the few women in the automotive field." Dryden worked with Loewy through 1940.[8]

By 1956 Dryden was again living in a $10-a-week hotel room paid for by the city's Welfare 
Department. At the time, she referred nostalgically to "her '$200-a-month' 10th Street 
apartment".

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We do not give any information to third parties. And cookies? We eat cookies.