Interview With Author Barb and Park Lien-Cooper//Cooper
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, Barb here. Park and I write fiction (and graphic novels and other things) under the studio name of Wicker Man Studios. Our tagline is: “Wicker Man Studios: Relationship Dramas in Spooky Worlds”
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book I’d like to talk about is entitled SONG TO THE SIREN. My books are never inspired by just one thing. For instance, Song to the Siren (STTS) was inspired by reading punk rock poet Patti Smith’s memoir, Just Kids, about her time as a young woman in New York. But it was also inspired by reading a biography of a musician I like. I wanted to write about a musician of a mythical cult rock band, but I didn’t have a plot yet. But STTS was also inspired by when I wrote a sequel to Turn of the Screw. And STTS was also inspired by re-reading Oliver Onions’ classic novella, “The Beckoning Fair One.” And I’d just re-read The Haunting of Hill House yet again. Hill House, Turn of the Screw, and “The Beckoning Fair One” are all examples of what is known as the “ambiguous ghost story.” I’d always wanted to do one of those, so Song to the Siren came to be.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I only write when I have a good idea. I think that authors who say, “Don’t wait to be inspired,” end up writing a lot of uninspired novels based on weak ideas.
Also, I write in sudden bursts of energy instead of doing a little bit of work daily/steadily.
Finally, I have my husband read our work out loud while I make breakfast, so I can hear if the dialog and narrative voices flow.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Park’s list is: Roger Zelazny’s Nine Princes in Amber and its next two sequels. A Princess of Mars. Ringworld. Ray Bradbury’s Death is a Lonely Business.
What are you working on now?
Working on adding to my Song to the Siren series.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
We aren’t really sure yet! We mostly just ask people for reviews, and we post things like trailers on our website.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
There’s LOTS of it on our website! Our publisher urged me to write some articles about it because he felt everyone wants to read about writing advice. So, I wrote a lot about it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“If you’re not doing something different, you’re not doing anything.”
–Sam Phillips (owner of Sun Records, Godfather of Rockabilly)
What are you reading now?
I haven’t decided yet. I’m thinking about re-reading Stir of Echoes, but I also like history, so I’m thinking about reading Wolf Hall. But I also have The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole on my list, as well as the ghost stories of Ada Buisson. Like many readers, I have a pile of books I really should read.
The last two novels I (re)-read were Rebecca, and The Secret History. I have a special fondness for that last book, because my husband gave me a copy when we first got together. He thought it would be on my wavelength.
Also, right now, Park and I are reading over a draft of one of our novels, to make sure it’s error-free (including possible continuity errors). The novel is part of The Talking Cure novel series.
What’s next for you as a writer?
As mentioned above, I’m working on the STTS series. Park is working on writing some small role-playing games…
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The last four rough drafts I’d been working on, most likely.
But there are four novels that are my go-to books in terms of inspiration, so I’d probably bring Jane Eyre, Turn of the Screw, Dracula, and The Haunting of Hill House.
I suspect that my husband will bring his big book of Zelazny’s Amber series, maybe some Robert E. Howard, and some Tolkien.
Author Websites and Profiles
Barb and Park Lien-Cooper//Cooper Website
Barb and Park Lien-Cooper//Cooper Amazon Profile
Barb and Park Lien-Cooper//Cooper’s Social Media Links
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