Vacationing with J.M. Elliott and Victor D. Sandiego
Part 4 | Getting to know the authors featured in "Take Me There"
Take Me There: A Speculative Anthology of Travel is a collection of short stories featuring characters on the move. Whether transcending to a higher plane of existence, exploring dangerous forests, or terraforming hostile planets, this collection has it all. Coming July 18th, 2024. Subscribe for release updates!
Now, let’s learn more about the stories and authors featured in this book!
The Fuller by J.M. Elliott
The Fuller is a historical fiction story with a compelling mystery. Aristeas is of noble birth but unhappy with life on the island of Proconnessus, while Linus is content to hold his unattractive but necessary occupation as the town’s fuller. When Aristeas dies suddenly in front of Linus, strange things begin to manifest about the workshop. But is Aristeas truly gone? J.M. Elliott’s extensive knowledge of ancient history and the source from which this tale is derived only adds a masterful component to her storytelling, breathing life onto each page.
The Canyon by Victor D. Sandiego
The Canyon is a literary travel story about a man struggling to survive in the harsh wilderness far beyond the reaches of civilization. What he experiences is almost transcendent at times, with a dash of brutal reality mixed in for good measure. Victor is economical with his word choice, which lends significant weight to his punchy prose as he takes us on a journey along the precipice of life and death.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
J.M. Elliott: I’d go to Mongolia. I'd love to ride across the last remaining open steppes. These landscapes are disappearing fast under farmland, but they played a crucial role in the domestication of horses and shaping our world. Experiencing it firsthand would be incredible.
Victor D. Sandiego: Morocco, because I’ve never been in Africa, and I enjoy new places. I would first visit Spain, and then take a ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Would you travel to the setting of your story? Why or why not?
Victor D. Sandiego: I already have. I am the protagonist in the story. The events in the story are ones I experienced. Although they didn’t all occur in the same canyon as the story, they did occur in the same wilderness.
J.M. Elliott: I'd definitely travel to the setting in "The Fuller." It's based on a real historical time and place, and the story's journey is mysterious. Plus, who wouldn't want to experience a strange adventure like the protagonist?
You get 24 hours to live in any fictional world/universe. Which one is it?
J.M. Elliott: I’d live in Tolkien's. Specifically, I'd choose to spend my day in Lothlorien. I was fortunate to have a nature preserve behind my house growing up, where I'd lose myself for hours in the woods. The sense of sanctuary and timelessness in Lothlorien is something I've always dreamed of experiencing, even for just a day. For me, it was Tolkien who restored the spirit of ancient European myths, legends, and folklore, which remain present and relevant today largely thanks to his stories.
If you only had eight words to describe your story, what would they be?
J.M. Elliott: Friendship, Exploration, Loss, Grief, Dreams, Mystery, Transformation, Reconciliation.
Victor D. Sandiego: Redemption, Renewal, Challenge, Acceptance
Describe your writing style and what readers can expect from you in the future.
Victor D. Sandiego: My voice varies quite a bit, because I hear a lot of voices, influenced as I am from many things, including music from around the world. My work, hopefully, causes people to think about how we are connected. I use parable and metaphor, coupled with concrete images. My stories are unconventional, with an emphasis on the human condition, and how we share so many things. I tend to walk among the real and unreal, and along the edges of desperation and hope. There’s not always a plot, sometimes just a movement from one stage of understanding to another.
J.M. Elliott: My writing style leans toward naturalistic historical fiction, but this story delves into speculative elements. I enjoyed this change of pace, and I hope to continue exploring speculative stories alongside my usual historical fiction.
How has travel informed or influenced your writing?
J.M. Elliott: Travel heavily influences my writing. Like travel, my writing is driven by curiosity and exploration. The places I visit—ancient ruins and historical sites—often inspire my writing, shaping the worlds and stories I create.
Victor D. Sandiego: It’s given me different perspectives on life in general, both in how people are similar, and how they are different. Plus, exposure to other language exposes new ways of thinking.
Describe your all-time favorite vacation or holiday trip. Tell us what made it so special.
Victor D. Sandiego: I went to Cuba to study rhythms. I learned a lot with respect to the music, but my favorite part was the time I had outside of our music classes to walk Havana, and meet people. Every day, I walked all over the city. I always went alone, and had many beautiful encounters with everyday people.
J.M. Elliott: My favorite vacation was a self-drive tour around ancient megaliths and ruins in Scotland. I'm not a fan of guided tours, so I made my own itinerary. Exploring stone circles at sunrise, crawling through neolithic tombs, climbing castles, and wandering historic battlefields made it an archaeology nerd's dream trip.
What is your favorite aspect of your story? What inspired you to write it?
J.M. Elliott: The mystery at the heart of my story has always intrigued me. It's based on ancient historical sources, but there's speculation about its true nature and possible links to shamanic practices. There are all kinds of journeys. . . . I’ve always wondered what ancient people might have believed about the events described.
Victor D. Sandiego: Hard to say. As with quite a few of my stories, the protagonist is unnamed, but at the end realizes that perhaps he has now earned one. Maybe. This is a story of a journey to re-enter the world, after some years of being outside of it. And I suppose my favorite aspect overall is the pilgrimage, and the idea that we can grow from the joys and challenges that such a pilgrimage provides.
What would you tell your readers before being launched in an exploratory spacecraft?
Victor D. Sandiego: Goodbye. Thanks for believing in me, friends. I won’t be back because my ticket is one-way. But I’ve tried to live my life with my feet on the ground, and my head in the clouds. It has kept me anchored, and at the same time, idealistic, and tall enough to see a great distance with many possibilities. It’s a wonderful balance. Don’t forget to appreciate the wide variety of both pleasure and pain that surround us. Now the Captain is calling. Time to get on the ship and sail. This ought to be fun.
J.M. Elliott: Thank you for your support! I'm grateful to be part of the anthology alongside so many talented writers. I hope you enjoy the stories as much as I enjoyed writing mine.
About the Authors
J.M. Elliott - NY, USA
J. M. Elliott has always found solace in the past. She lives on a farm in the Hudson Valley, far removed from the hustle of modern life. When she's not lost in the pages of historical fiction, you might spot her astride a horse, unearthing the mysteries of archaeological sites, or trekking into the wilderness where phone signals cannot reach. Discover more, including her debut novel, Of Wind and Wolves, at www.jmelliott.org.
Victor D. Sandiego - Central Mexico
Victor D Sandiego lives in the high desert of central Mexico where he writes, studies, and plays drums. His work appears in various journals. He is the founder of Subprimal Poetry Art and Dog Throat Journal, an online publication of short fiction and prose poetry. https://victordavid.com
Thanks for going on this journey with us. We hope you enjoyed this sneak peek into a couple of the stories in our upcoming anthology. Feel free to participate by answering some of the questions in the comments below!
Take Me There: A Speculative Anthology of Travel
Embark on a journey across the realms of genre with "Take Me There: A Speculative Anthology of Travel," a specially curated anthology of 24 stories from emerging, visionary indie authors from around the world. Each tale is a gateway into the human experience, a portal leading readers into new and undiscovered territory. From interplanetary space travel to the deep recesses of the mind, this collection takes readers on adventures spanning time and space and everything in between.
Featuring stories by
Brian Reindel, Brylle Gaviola, Christopher Deliso, Clarice Sanchez Meneses, C.R. Langille, Daniel W. Davison, Devon Field, Galia Ignatius, H. A. Titus, Iris Shaw, J.M. Elliott, Jack Massa, James Castor, Joe Gold, LB Waltz, M.S. Arthadian, Melissa Rose Rogers, Olivia St. Lewis, Pamela Urfer, Randall Hayes, Shaina Read, Shannon Aaron Stephens, Victor D. Sandiego, Winston Malone
Two of my favorite authors! Glad to read more about them. Thanks, Winston.
Sign me up for the Lothlorien Tour ;)