An Interview With Paralympian Stephanie Millward

It’s time for another interview this time it’s my new friend and Paralympian Stephanie Millward. I met Stephanie on Twitter and got speaking to her within the last couple of weeks or so if I’m honest. Like me and other internet blogger celeb Zoella, Stephanie is a Wiltshire native and as you know by now. I’m a great believer in supporting local people, so I asked Stephanie if she wanted to do an interview on skatronixxx.com and she said yes 🙂 Thanks Steph!

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1) How did you get into swimming?  

I was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia which has an incredible temperature of approx 40 degrees so I learnt to swim as a way of cooling down!! I swam for a club called ‘Saudi Sharks’ and I won loads of medals!  At the age of 8 I was invited to the Junior Olympics in the capital of Saudi Arabia Riyadh where I swam 100m backstroke and won a gold medal!!  My dreams were then all about Olympic gold!!

2) What was it like carrying the Olympic torch and representing the United Kingdom in the Paralympics games? 

Incredible!!! They were both once in a lifetime experiences with the torch being extra special because of the local crowd buzzing on the street cheering and enjoying it all and the home Olympics where the crowd screamed your name! Once in a life time!!  The crowds made both events and I felt so privileged to be part of both!! I felt very special on both occasions and I was very proud of myself! My family came to watch the Paralympics which made it even more exciting and the whole event was immense!!! Incredible!

Stephanie with the 2012 Olympic Torch

 

3) You won four silvers and one bronze at London 2012, which one are you most proud of and why?

100m backstroke silver medal mainly because it was my first medal so therefore extra special but also because it is my favourite event!

4) You’ve written a book called ‘Paying the Price’, could you tell us a little bit about the book?

My autobiography or the story of my life so far was called paying the price because of a poem I wrote at the beginning of my illness MS 16 years ago. This was a painful time where I realised my dreams of being an Olympic swimmer were over as the disease ripped my life away from me.  The book is almost a diary of my life through the horrendous symptoms of the disease such as going blind and being paralysed and therefore my reactions to these events. It is funny to see how I change from blaming myself for doing something wrong to loving the MS as it has offered me so many wonderful opportunities!

Stephanies’s autobiography ‘Paying The Price’ is out now

5) If a film was made of your life who would play you and why?

Sandra Bullock would play me as she is a fantastic actress and I think she would play it well!!

6) You attended the Corsham school, I myself am also from Wiltshire, how would you describe the county to our readers as I often have great difficulty in doing so?

Wiltshire is an incredible place!  It covers such a wide area with stunning historical stones in one location and lush green fields covering a large proportion of the county! I feel very proud to live in Wiltshire as every town tells its own incredible story with the local pubs being similar to a new book to open with different stories in each one! Wiltshire has numerous beautiful towns with dainty buildings. The people living in Wiltshire are also incredible many with smiles on their faces enjoying their daily events!  An incredible place to live!!

W Wonderful

I irresistible

L Lovely

T Terrific

S Stunning

H Happy

I Illustrious

R Radiant

E Evergreen

Stourhead in Mere, Wiltshire one of the many scenic places in Stephanie’s and mine’s home county

7) Have you ever broken a world record and if so what’s that feeling like knowing you’ve achieved something and done better than no one else has done before?

I hold the 50m backstroke world record although this isn’t a Paralympics event and I hold many Wiltshire and European records.  I hold even more world and European records in a Short course (25m) pool.  It makes me feel very proud of myself as being the best in the world ever is pretty amazing!!

8) What can we expect from you in 2015?

 

World championships!!!  I will be swimming in the trials for the World Championships at the end of March and then the actual World Championships at the end of July in Glasgow which will be exciting events! I wish to swim really well and hope to improve my personal best times in all my events!  I am also organising a concert which will take place just under the beautiful white horse in Westbury on 22nd August 2015 which will raise money for a number of charities!!

9) Tell our readers one fun fact about yourself that they may not already know?

I have a fear of water!!!  I fell into the water whilst a baby in Jeddah and almost drowned before my dad saved my life! I struggle with staying underwater after a turn because of this fear!

10)  Finally what advice would you have for an upcoming paralympian?

Believe in yourself! You can do anything if you believe it enough!  Winston Churchill said something very important ‘Never never never give up’. I feel this is so important whenever life gets too hard for us.  Keep smiling!  Just about whenever you smile at someone their natural reaction is to smile back. Give everyone a gift of your smile and let them smile too!!  Spread happiness!!

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There you go readers Stephanie Millward! Look out for Stephanie in the World Trial championships at the end of March and the World Championships in July. I for one will be cheering her on and wish her all the best 🙂

Be sure to follow Stephanie on Twitter she’s https://twitter.com/steph_millward and check out her awesome autobiography ‘Paying The Price’ now http://www.amazon.co.uk/Paying-Price-Stephanie-Millward/dp/1903056799 I’ll be reading this one Steph! Don’t be shy go say hi and tell her ‘Skatronixxx Sent Me!’

An Interview With British Music Sensation Jet Luckhurst

 

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When the idea of having of having interviews on skatronixxx.com came about one of the first names of suitable people that popped into my head was my good friend Jet. I’ve known him for a little while (We both come from the same town and worked together) and I’ve always been interested in his music, I’m a great believer in promoting people I know personally as well so the interview was a no brainer really! Rather than me tell you about him, I decided to think of several questions to ask Jet and you can see his responses below!

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1)How did you get into music?

Honestly, the Backstreet Boys! I’m not even kidding.. My sister used to listen to them from a young age and I liked the beats, catchy melodies and dare I say it, the image.. I used to sing along to the point where I still remember most of the lyrics to this day.. My family have a background in music as well but this is my earliest childhood memory where I realised I wanted to sing..

2) How would you describe your musical style to the casual listener?

Catchy Acoustic Pop with rock elements..

A teaser video taken from Jet’s YouTube music page

3) What’s your current album called and how would you describe it?

I have 2 current EP’s out, ‘A Light In The Dark’ and ‘Cities Beneath The Sea’ however they are much older material and different to the style I perform nowadays.. I am currently in the process of recording new material which I am very excited about..

4) If I remember right you were almost the new lead singer for a fairly well known band a couple of years ago would you like to tell our readers what band this was?

That’s true although, as it never came to be, only close friends know this, so I tend to like to keep it as a secret 😉

5) With the rise of musical talent shows such as X-Factor and The Voice? Do you find that these are a positive thing or negative thing for music industry and have you ever been tempted to audition for one?

Personally, they aren’t for me however they are there for a reason, and those that participate fit that demographic.. I’m not a fan of manufactured production line acts, it’s slightly robotic and doesn’t fully portray the struggle a real musician goes through to get there through their own means.. Talent needs to be nurtured and so I don’t agree with shows that accelerate this for a quick pound (buck)..

6) If you could duet with any one person dead or alive who would it be and why?

Although they are a duo, the band that got me into acoustic music, the ‘Kings Of Convenience’. Their music has consistently influenced different stages of my life for the past 10+ years. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be doing what I do acoustically.

7) If you could form a band with one guitarist, one bassist and one drummer who would you pick and why?

Guitarist – Andy McKee (technically versatile and extremely creative)

Bass – Marcus Miller (Just listen to ‘Power’ it’ll blow your mind tank)

Drummer – John Bonham (My all time favourite drummer! Led zeppelin, need I say more?)

8) What can we expect to see from you in 2015?

New music! My own tour and music videos! I also want to arrange a crowdfunding type release where I can offer incentives like house shows and specially personalised songs for people that invest..

9) Tell our readers one fun fact about yourself that they may not already know?

My mum once dated Bob Dylan.

10) Finally what advice would you have any advice for an upcoming musician?

Focus on your own journey, don’t try and be someone else and don’t worry about how much further along someone else might be because chances are someone is just behind you doing the same..

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There you go readers, Jet Luckhurst! He’s currently supporting 80’s mega group T’Pau on tour currently, details of this tour can be found below, if he goes to an arena like you I’d 100% recommend seeing him, he’s gunna be big one day 😉

https://www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/TPau

I for one would definately spend an afternoon listening to his music be sure to check out either his own page on skatronixxx.com or his YouTube page here https://www.youtube.com/user/JetLuckhurstMusic

Follow him on Twitter he’s https://twitter.com/jetluckhurst or Facebook on https://www.facebook.com/JetLuckhurst and tell him ‘Skatronixxx sent you!’

An Interview With Walking Dead Actress Amber Dawn Fox

Another day, another interview and this time it’s the turn of Amber Dawn Fox. I met Amber on Twitter and we got speaking as we both share the love for many of the same fandoms. I was kinda surprised that Amber was speaking to me as she is a well known and upcoming actress, but I’m glad she did to be honest as she’s one of the coolest people out there. Amber has agreed to do an interview for skatronixxx.com

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1) How did you get into acting?

I started out doing some background acting in 2009. I saw an ad online for a casting company needing people to work as background in One Tree Hill. So, I responded and sent in my info to them. But, I didn’t take acting classes or start auditioning for speaking roles until the beginning of 2014.

2) What’s it like being in ‘The Walking Dead’ and how would you describe your character Officer Bello to someone who has not watched it before?  

Being on The Walking Dead is surreal. It is such a huge deal and the fans are incredible.  I would describe Officer Bello as a member of the most recent group of survivors that could be considered villainous to someone who has not watched the show before.

There’s Amber on the bottom left as Officer Bello

3) If I remember right you had appeared in ‘Vampire Diaries’ what was that like and are you Team-Stefan or Team-Damon?

I loved working on The Vampire Diaries as well! I really enjoy going to work on shows that I already watch, it is fun to get thrown into a world you watch on TV. I am totally Team-Damon!

Let’s face it ‘The Vampire Diaries’ is all about Damon, like Amber are you Team Damon?

4) I saw online that you were a fangirl before you got into acting other than ‘The Walking Dead’ what are your other fandoms?

Yes I was, very much so! I am a fan of most of the supernatural and sci fi shows, along with The Walking Dead. I love The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and The 100.

5) I heard you have a role in the upcoming TV movie ‘Realm’, can you tell us a little about this?

Yes, Realm is actually going to be a TV series. It fits into my genre of shows I enjoy. It is very much a supernatural drama/horror. At the same time, it will be very different from what is out there now. I will be playing a witch from the immortal realm named Agnes. Realm is set to premiere this fall.

6) If you could be in one existing film, what film and character would you choose and why?

I would have loved to play the lead in The Notebook. I love romance movies, and it is something that I haven’t gotten to do a lot of yet. I seem to keep getting casted as the “bad guy” which is fun though! The Notebook would be the ultimate romance movie to be a part of.

7) Can we expect to see you at any conventions this year in the US or UK?

Yes, I will be at several in the US. Some of the dates are still being finalized. But, so far I have dates in NC, SC, TN, and FL announced here in the US. If you like my facebook page  www.facebook.com/amberdawnfox , I am keeping a list of appearances pinned to the top for reference.

8) What can we expect to see from you in 2015?

Realm will be premiering in the fall, so look out for that. Also, as many conventions as I can do..I really love to get out there and meet the fans as much as I can.

9) Tell our readers one fun fact about yourself that they may not already know? Oh good question!

I am terrified of almost any type of bug. I usually have to get someone else to kill one if I see one in the house. It is pretty bad!

10) Finally what advice would you have any advice for an upcoming actress or actor?

Never give up if it is truly what you want. It is a lot of hard work, and a lot of building your resume up with little to no pay. In the end, however, it will all be worth it. It may not be easy to see, and everyone’s journey will take a different amount of time, but if you give up, then you will never know how close you were to seeing your dreams come true.

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There you go readers Amber Dawn Fox! Look out for Amber i got a feeling 2015 is going to be a big year for her and I wish her all the best 🙂

Be sure to follow Amber on twitter she’s https://twitter.com/amberfox86

 and on facebook www.facebook.com/amberdawnfox , don’t be shy go say hi and tell her ‘Skatronixxx Sent Me!’

An Interview With Top Fantasy Author James Brogden

Another one of the people I wanted to interview for skatronixxx.com was another one of my good friends and top fantasy author James Brogden. We first met at London Film and Comic Con, when myself and my author client RJ Truman were at a trade stand and got chatting to an author who was friendly. This turned out to be James! The next year both James and RJ Truman were lucky to enough to be guests together and we all had a great time. James has agreed to do an interview for skatronixxx.com

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1) How did you get into writing?

Someone accidentally left the door open and I sneaked in when they weren’t looking. If you mean how did I get published, the answer is sheer bloody-minded stubbornness and the conscious decision to adopt a professional mindset about it. Basically this meant a) listening to people when they told me what sucked and doing something about it, b) deciding that it was also okay NOT to listen to them, and c) not taking any of it personally. Also having a Plan: building up a CV of short work so that the longer work gets taken seriously. Not that it’s actually happened that way, mind you, but I still think a Plan is a good idea, regardless of whatever kind of profession you choose to enter.

2) How would you describe your writing style to the casual reader?

Unable to take itself seriously, despite my best intentions. I’m an Australian; irreverence is part of the cultural DNA, especially towards oneself.

3) If I remember right you’re also an English teacher, how do you find that compares to being an author? Do you find that the children you teach are less or more passionate about reading, compared to previous generations given all the other options available e.g. social networking/online gaming?

Well it certainly pays better, but the hours are crap. The biggest thing I found when I actually started to think about how I was writing, was that I stopped telling the kids that they had to plan their creative work, because I certainly don’t. I’ve tried, and I can’t. I’ll plot a novel and set myself a schedule to write a certain scene at a certain time and that goes right out the window as soon as I start because I’ll immediately think of something really cool that I hadn’t planned but which just demands to be written. So I tell my students: write the coolest moment you can imagine, and then work backwards, forwards and sideways from that until you have a story. Some of them think it’s very impressive that their teacher is a writer; some of them frankly couldn’t care less if I turned up to school riding a flaming unicorn. The thing with kids being passionate about reading is that up until about the age of fourteen they seem quite able to balance a digital existence and be rabid bookworms at the same time – just look at the huge success of some YA authors out there. Then for a few years they go into their adolescent cocoons and it’s not considered cool to be a reader, and when they come out again in the Sixth Form maybe a tiny percentage have grown that passion into a desire to study Literature. I know a lot of students who drop English in favour of all Maths  & Sciences at A-level still love their SF and Fantasy, which is nice. It gives me hope that I haven’t killed it completely for them with the GCSE. I know from my own daughters’ experiences that social networks are allowing them greater opportunities to connect with their fandom tribes and explore links and connections to other genres and writers. They’re much more widely read than I was at their age, but then their Dad’s a teacher, poor little sods, so maybe that’s not such a surprise.

4) Perhaps your most well-known books to date are ‘Tourmaline’ and ‘The Narrows’, how you would describe these book to someone who has not read them yet?

I love ‘most well known’. A more accurate word might be ‘only’, since you’ve just described my entire literary output to date. The Narrows is urban fantasy, about ley lines, arcane acupuncture, and monsters in the back alleys of Birmingham. Tourmaline is, again, urban-based fantasy, with stronger horror elements, a parallel-steampunk-world, tentacled beasties, dreams intruding on reality, and the crucial importance of extra-strong mints when dealing with demon-possessed children. I refer you back to my answer to Question 2.

5) If a film was made of either ‘Tourmaline’ or ‘The Narrows’ who would you like to play the main character and why?

I’m afraid I honestly have no idea. I watch so little actual TV and go to the cinema so rarely that I don’t know the names of anybody currently in the public eye who might suit, and I don’t want to embarrass myself by name-checking somebody decades out of date. I come from a background of hardcore role-playing gamers, so I tend to imagine my characters as played by my mates – apart from anything else it helps me keep their reactions a bit more grounded.

The front cover to James’s book ‘Tourmaline’

The front cover to James’s book ‘The Narrows’

6) We first met at London Film and Comic Con back in 2013, do you do lots of conventions and can we hope to see you at LFCC again this year?

I will definitely be at LFCC this year, pimping my new book – the sequel to Tourmaline, called ‘The Realt’. That’s the only convention I go to where I’m actually selling stuff, though. I’m trying try to get to more of the various genre cons like Fantasycon, and such like, to meet up with fellow writers and pick up advice from the panels. I’ll also be at Edge Lit 4 in Derby this year, hopefully launching my first collection of short stories courtesy of the Alchemy Press.

7) I read online that you say that HP Lovecraft was one of your early inspirations, he’s an author that today’s generation may not necessarily know much about, what book would you recommend to read by him and why?

I’d actually suggest that if someone wanted to get a handle on Lovecraft, they go out and read the Laundry Files series of books by Charles Stross, which have a  modern and much more approachable take on the same mythos coupled with a dark and uniquely British sense of humour. They follow the career of a computational demonologist called Bob Howard who works for a government agency called the Laundry which deals with occult threats. It’s a bit like the X-files but with added bureaucracy, and no David Duchovny, which is also good. Get addicted to that as an entry-level drug and progress to the hard stuff.

8) What can we expect to see from you in 2015?

Sorry, I’ve already spoilered that: Tourmaline Book 2: the Realt, and a short story collection (I’m still hovering indecisively about a title). My current work-in-progress is a novel about a bog-mummy found in Birmingham’s Sutton Park, and the supernatural wackiness which ensues.

9) Tell our readers one fun fact about yourself that they may not already know?

I have more Lego than is reasonable for any grown man, and every Christmas I build a winter village on my desk.

Everything is awesome when you like Lego like James

10) Finally what advice would you have any advice for an upcoming writers?

Write the things you like to read; there’s a pretty good chance that there’s an editor out there who likes it too. Do your research; find out who those editors are. Finish things; even if you think they’re rubbish. Do not take rejection and criticism personally; if you want to identify that closely with your own work, become a starving poet. And when you finally get published, send a thankyou card to your English teacher.

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There you go readers, James Brogden! A fantasy author, teacher and lego-phille. Be sure to check out James’s books ‘Tourmaline’ and ‘The Narrows’ they are available on Amazon now.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/277-2064183-9796546?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=james%20brogden

Follow him on Twitter he’s https://twitter.com/skippybe