S.C. Flynn

Tonight I’m backstage post-concert with Romeo Kennedy, AKA “The Moustached Man from that blog with a really long name.” Romeo is a Cornish SFF writer and book reviewer, described as a sort of Pied Piper for the Fae of Cornwall, but with a bass guitar.

He is a folklore enthusiast, specializing in Cornish Folklore and Mythology, as well as having major interests in all things geek from books, comics, film, and television. He blogs at http://sleeplessmusingsofawellgroomedmoustachedman.wordpress.com and tweets at @RomeoRites.

SCy-Fy: Boom ba boom?

RK: Boomdaboom twang!

SCy-Fy: Romeo, we had better stop speaking in bass language – we can keep doing that on Twitter. Your blog has just had an anniversary, hasn’t it?

RK: Yes, my humble little blog has just turned two years old.

SCy-Fy: Congratulations! What are your future initiatives?

RK: Well, myself, and two mice named Pinky and the Brain are going to take over th- oh! You mean with blogging!

I want to continue reviewing as much as possible and also doing other posts like the one I did about the Fantasy Wonder Super Group in which I took different characters from awesome fantasy books and imagined them playing in a band. It was fun to do.

Lately I have had the pleasure of being asked to do the odd guest post and I really enjoy doing that, as I’m finding myself inspired to get my writing seen and hopefully enjoyed by more people on subjects that I may not have written about on SMOAWGMM yet.

SCy-Fy: How do you go about putting together a blog post?

RK: If it is a review (which it often is) I like to go over any notes that I may have made about the book. Upon finishing a book I like to sleep on it (not literally that would be all pointy and uncomfortable). I like to let the content of the book sink in, have a good think about some of the themes and motifs, etc.

I find it puts me right in the zone when I begin that review. Almost like opening a bottle of lemonade to let it breathe … Or is that wine? I forget. Anyway, no day is typical for me, I’m Rock N’ Roll like that. And to be fair, I don’t blog everyday as I’m a very slow reader, so it takes me a while.

SCy-Fy: What do you think will be the major future challenges for SFF blogging?

RK: We are blessed with so many great blogs and the one thing I find that poses a challenge is keeping up with all the great reviews of new releases. There is always something that I can’t believe I didn’t have on my bookdar (like a radar but for books).

SCy-Fy: Tips for bloggers?

RK: Interact, interact, interact.

When I first started this blogging lark, I set up the blog on WP and then foolishly thought, build it and they will come. Obviously, I quickly learned that this was not the case. I blame this on the fact that I’m useless at technology. It took me ages to realise that I can follow more than one blog on my wordpress app. Interacting with other bloggers on their own blogs and other social media is wonderful and I have made some great friends in doing so.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask a blogger for help and advice. I have received some great advice from other bloggers. Stefan who runs Civilian Reader has been a great help to me over the years with blogging advice, etc. As for other tips? Don’t eat the yellow snow.

SCy-Fy: Which resources do you use most?

RK: Twitter. Other bloggers, and Hydra. I don’t use Netgalley as I don’t have one of those e-readery machine thingamabobs. Give me paper or see ya later.

SCy-Fy: Traps in SFF blogging?

RK: The To Be Read pile. Or as some like to call it Mt Toberead. Don’t be afraid to say no to reviews. Like I previously mentioned, I’m a very slow reader so I like to keep my reviewing piles as manageable as possible. However, my TBR pile could probably rival Everest. I swear I saw a Yeti on it the other day.

SCy-Fy: Things that have kept you going in hard times?

RK: My amazing wife. She is my absolute world, and having her constant support, knowing that she is very proud of me, keeps me going no matter what.

Then there are my animals. My dogs and cats.

And last, but not at all least, my lovely, lovely friends.

SCy-Fy: Posts of yours that have had the most impact or controversy?

RK: Well, there was that one time I said the world was flat.

To be honest, none of my posts have been controversial. I’m not a very controversial person at all. As for posts with the most impact, I think my interview with Edward Cox (author of The Relic Guild) was rather popular and I had lots of great feedback from it.

SCy-Fy: What have been the best books you have read recently?

RK: Well, I’m slowly working my way through the Malazan (Book of the Fallen) series by Steven Erikson. They are absolutely awesome. I recently read Finn Fancy Necromancy by Randy Henderson which was also a bit good. City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett, City Stained Red by Sam Sykes, and Your Servants and Your People by David Towsey which is the sequel to Your Brothers Blood. Also I re-read Binary (sequel to Gemsigns) by Stephanie Saulter who is one of my favorite authors and whose (R)evolution series is absolutely stunning.

SCy-Fy: Which upcoming releases are you most looking forward to?

RK: Oh wow. This year certainly kicked off with some cosmic releases like The Iron Ghost by Jennifer Williams which is my next read and I’m so looking forward to reading it, it is the sequel to The Copper Promise which was phenomenal.

The Cathedral of Known Things by Edward Cox (sequel to The Relic Guild), Unseemly Science by Rod Duncan, Regeneration by Stephanie Saulter, Starborn by Lucy Hounsom, Your Resting Place by David Towsey, City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett, The Thorn of Emberlain by Scott Lynch, and I’m still holding out hope for book 3 of Kingkiller Chronicle by Pat Rothfuss. There are more that I have probably missed too.

SCy-Fy: Anything else to add?

RK: Yes I would like to say thank you to your good self for having me, and I would also like to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported the blog and continues to do so. You’re all cosmic.

SCy-Fy: Boom boom.

RK: BOOM!