Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born and raised in a small Kansas town on the Missouri River. I now live in New York’s Hudson Valley with my husband and two sons. Though The Crown of Stones: Magic-Price is my first published novel, I have been writing nearly all my life. In middle school, I wrote poetry and scripts for my favorite TV shows. That transitioned to longer stories in high school, where I wrote my first full-length novel (a post-apocalyptic behemoth) on a typewriter in my parent’s living room.
My passion for writing continued as an adult. I was a ‘closet writer’ for many years, scribbling away in private over one story or another. When I wasn’t writing, I read like a fiend. When I wasn’t reading, I thought about writing. I kept notebooks where I would jot down plots, characters, or titles— whatever came to me. There are several finished stories in a box in my closet just waiting for me to revisit them.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Crown of Stones: Magic-Price is my first published novel. If it was inspired by anything, it would be an unconscious desire to pay homage to what inspired me to write in the first place: the bookshelves in my parent’s house. I grew up in a family of readers with diverse interests, and the walls were teeming with a variety of genres, from sci-fi, westerns, mysteries, to the classics. It was like a candy store. Every book took me on a new adventure, and I couldn’t get enough.
My love for fantasy took off in high school when my brother handed me a copy of The Mists of Avalon. By then I had already developed an interest in the Middle Ages, and in all things magical/supernatural, and I devoured it.
The Crown of Stones evolved from the creation of my protagonist, Ian Troy. I wanted to construct not just a character, but a person that I, as a reader, would want to get lost in. One that would embody the characters I’d come to love from the stories I first read in my childhood home, so many years ago. My goal was to make him a little bit of a cowboy and little bit of an outlaw; a detective when he needs to be, a monster when he can’t help it, and a hero even when he tries not to be.
The Crown of Stones is the story of Ian Troy, a man with an innate addiction to magic, born into a world where magic is reviled, not revered.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say it’s an unusual habit, but I do write my first draft by hand in a notebook. For some reason, I feel less constrained by pen and paper. The ideas are usually flowing pretty fast at that point and they rarely come out in complete sentences, in a straight line, or even in the margins. Whatever goes in the notebook is my framework, my skeleton. Then, when I go to the laptop, I put the meat on the bones.
After the first draft is done, it goes through several rounds of revising. I don’t move on from a chapter until I can read it all the way through without something feeling off. When I’m happy with it, I start editing and weeding out any unnecessary words that I might have missed during revising. Around this time, it goes to my editor. I also have a small group of beta readers that give me their very valuable two cents.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I first discovered fantasy, I read everything by Marion Zimmer Bradley. CJ Cherry was another big one for me. I devoured her books for years. I read Andre Norton and quite a bit by Jennifer Roberson as well. The Chronicles of the Cheysuli wasn’t Roberson’s most popular work, but there were some wonderful characters in those books. There were a lot of others along the way, but two of my more recent influences would be Jim Butcher and Simon Greene.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working on Magic-Scars, which is the second book in The Crown of Stones trilogy. As Ian deals with the aftermath of events in the last book, he discovers long-buried secrets from his people’s past that will have ramifications not only for him, but for all the realms.
I hope to have it out sometime this fall. I’ve also started the first draft of book three as well, and I’m always scribbling down one new idea or another.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook was good to get the initial word out, but I’d have to say Twitter has been the best for me so far. I’ve connected with some great people on Twitter. Most are authors and aspiring authors, but everyone has been very welcoming. Goodreads has been wonderful as well. I love their author program. There are a lot of good groups to join there. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I currently lurk more than I participate. I hope to change that soon. I also plan to have a website up and running in the next month.
One of the things I underestimated was the amount of time I would need to devote to social media and promotion. It’s definitely a balancing act.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Being a new author myself, we’re probably all in the same boat. But I will say that a thick skin is a must. There will be people who will love your writing, and people who will be happy to tell you explicitly how much they don’t. Reviews are wonderful things. They can be a great inspiration, a helpful tool, and a rude awakening. Don’t let them go to your head and don’t let them bring you down. I read a quote recently that sums it up. “When you make something no one hates, no one loves it.”
For aspiring authors, I would say: don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. For many years, I wrote only for myself and told very few people. I was a ‘closet writer’. I would cringe when my close friends or my husband would tell people I was a writer. Writers are published. Writers have fans. That wasn’t me.
But I was wrong. If you write, you’re a writer. Don’t let fear keep you in the closet.
Also, write every single day. I didn’t put this into practice for a long time. I thought if I didn’t have hours to devote then why bother. But if all you have time for some days is a line or two, then so be it. I learned it the hard way. Your creative muscle is like any other. The more you use it, the better you get.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Read. Learn. But don’t be afraid to find your voice and develop your own style.
Before I decided to self-publish, I was told it was a mistake to write first person, that it was hard to do well and wouldn’t be as attractive to publishers. The Crown of Stones is an epic fantasy, written in first person in a contemporary voice. Since it was released December 2013, I’ve had numerous people tell me that because of the style in which it was written, it has a broader appeal. It can be enjoyed by fantasy and non-fantasy fans alike. I’m thrilled every time I hear that. Yet, I admit, it wasn’t some grand plan. This is simply what feels natural to me. This is how I write. If I wasn’t true to myself and my style, writing wouldn’t be as much fun, and it would show.
What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading The Good, the bad, and the Uncanny, by Simon R. Green and The Postcard, by Tom Connolly. The Postcard isn’t my usual fare, but it’s by a local author, and the story takes place in the Hudson Valley, not far from where I live. Last summer, when I was on the verge of publishing The Crown of Stones, Mr. Connolly was having his first book signing at a small, local bookstore. I enjoyed his reading and picked up a copy. I’m glad I did, too. It’s a change of pace for me and I’m really enjoying it.
What’s next for you as a writer?
After The Crown of Stones trilogy is complete, I’m leaning toward putting out an urban fantasy. The working title is Nite Fire. The protagonist is a half-dragon woman named Dalia Nite. I have about 200 pages written on the first draft. I also have another epic fantasy in mind, and down the road I hope to return to the world I created in The Crown of Stones, perhaps via a prequel, or another character’s POV.
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?
Gone With the Wind is a must. The Morgaine Saga by C.J. Cherry has to be number two (even though I’ve read it three times already). Jayne Eyre. The last one is a toss-up between These is My Words and Lord of the Rings. I’ve actually never read Lord of the Rings. Shhh—don’t tell anyone. Citing the ‘so many books so little time’ excuse, it’s just one of those things I haven’t gotten around to. A desert island would be the perfect place to remedy that.
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