Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m C.M.J. Wallace, and I’ve been reading books since about the time I learned to talk. Somewhere along the line, I realized that I wanted to write, and after taking a few stabs at it throughout the years I buckled down and began scribbling the Rift series in 2008, using rudiments I’d penned in 1992. To date, I’ve completed four books in the series (Sing the Midnight Stars, Flight of Shadows, This Darkling Magic, and This Strange Magic).
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
This Strange Magic is my latest book, and it flowed from the first three. I’d originally planned for Rift to be a single book, but it burgeoned into an entire series without my permission.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have no unusual writing habits, but I do find that it goes better when I have coffee-flavored Nips at my side as a panacea. (They’re a hard candy that I highly recommend to anyone with even a modicum of tendency toward a sweet tooth.)
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen R. Donaldson is hands-down my greatest influence, closely followed by Pat Conroy. Their prose is beautiful, rich, and evocative, filled with language that creates wonderful imagery.
What are you working on now?
I’m writing the fifth book in the Rift series and am outlining the sixth, and I’ve started writing an unrelated fantasy novel that’s intended to be a stand-alone book…but you saw how that went.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t found a good method for promoting my books. People tout Facebook and Twitter as wonderful tools, but unless you already have a huge friend base–at least in my experience–those sites aren’t much good, nor is Kindle Boards. I’d be happy to hear from anyone who can gainsay me and has made a success of their books by using those sites. Please tell me how! Goodreads has actually been the most lucrative site so far, allowing me to give away my books for greater exposure.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I advise new authors to develop a thick skin and not give up. Self-publishing and -marketing are tough, uphill battles, and it’s easy to get discouraged.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t pay attention to bad reviews of your books; everyone, even J. K. Rowling, receives them. Believe in yourself and keep writing!
What are you reading now?
I’m reading Bronze Gods by A. A. Aguirre and Once Bitten by Stephen Leather.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Once I’m finished with the Rift series, I’m going to revisit the unrelated book I mentioned above and start plotting the book after that, which will be ???
What is your favorite book of all time?
Hmm…favorite book of all time… I’m probably in the same boat with a lot of other people on answering this one. It’s too hard to choose. For sheer laughs, I’d have to say William Goldman’s The Princess Bride.
Author Websites and Profiles
C.M.J. Wallace Website
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