Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I recently released my first published book, The Spectra Unearthed, the first of a six book series. Like many of writers, I started at a young age and haven’t stopped. When I’m not writing, I enjoy crafting and hobby farming. I live near the sunniest city in the world with my husband, four children, and lots of animals, including chickens, ducks, sheep, goats, Vera the border-collie mix, and Dawn the 16-year-old dachshund.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Spectra Unearthed has been in the works for a long time. In middle school I started a story about a group of kids who personified the six colors (I tried to title it “Rainbow Warriors”; one of my friends had to explain why this was not a good idea). The idea lived in my dreams and daydreams for years. Then I had a dream that combined the color-people with royalty, and that sparked the Spectra world. I took a few years to write my first story, only to realize that the whole thing was backstory and ought to begin with the sequel. So I started over, and produced The Spectra Unearthed.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Robert Olen Butler said, “What you forget goes into the compost of the imagination.” I have a lot of favorite books and authors adding to my pile. My favorite books about writing are:
The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker
Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (some mature content)
Writing Magic by Gail Carsen Levine
Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan
The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White
What are you working on now?
I am editing the sequel for The Spectra Unearthed, titled The Spectra United (I finished the rough draft during NaNoWriMo). It follows my main character Keita Sage into the city and prairie kingdom of Lectranis, where she meets up with her suspiciously well-connected sister and uncomfortably perceptive betrothed. I’m also working on a collection of short stories that take place within the Spectra world.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I enjoyed putting my website together at www.TheSpectraBooks.com
I also do Facebook and a little Twitter.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing. Keep editing. Accept advice without being beaten down by it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From Strunk and White:
“Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary lines, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”
What are you reading now?
If I were reading something, I wouldn’t be doing an interview! I read extremely fast, so I don’t usually put it down until I’m done. That said, the book I read last was The Squire’s Tale by Gerald Morris, on recommendation from my little sister.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m planning on releasing The Spectra United in September and then start working on the third book, The Spectra Uprooted.
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?
1. How to Survive on a Desert Island
2. The Biggest Book of Fairytales Ever
3. A very large blank notebook
4. My least favorite book for kindling
Author Websites and Profiles
Christie Valentine Powell Website
Christie Valentine Powell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account