Interview With Author M.L. Dunker
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I love traveling more than anything and believe a passport is the most important piece of paper I will ever own. I wrote the Tales of Zren Janin series (six books in the boxed set) and used a fictional South Pacific setting because I wanted more readers to come to know and love the Pacific Islands, Philippines, and SE Asia. I want to constantly challenge my own assumptions and biases to become a better person, and I use my writing to explore other cultures, mythologies, and ideologies.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I outlined all five books before publishing them to ensure the story arcs and character development would be consistent throughout the series. In “A Gift of the Stars” a young boy is found by the side of the road badly beaten. Do you stop and help? What happens if the person helped is not what you thought they were? In “Manumina,” I look at the concept of found family, and the disconnect between how a person was raised versus people’s perception based on the color of one’s skin – a common dilemma in international adoptions. The third book, “War and Wrens,” carries the action adventure into a war zone. The book was written during the Russian invasion of Ukraine and explores the child soldiers, spies, and saboteurs who participant in the resistance. “Exile: A New Beginning” is a fictional end to my war and the resulting diaspora based on my experiences in the Falkland Islands. The cleanup of the landmines after the 1982 war with Argentina was not completed until October of 2020! The final book in the series tells the adventures of the Wrens, the throwaway children we have come to love and cheer for through the series. I used my memories of the street children I encountered working nights in the Philippines to demonstrate the resiliency and the heartbreak all around us.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I travel with a notebook, not a laptop. While working as a global auditor in South America, Central America, and SE Asia, I would write down my settings, my food experiences, my interactions with others. When I returned to the States, I would binge read my notebooks and start world-building. I am a plotter, and my office had post it notes, recipe cards, and scraps of paper in a constantly moving mosaic. When I get stuck in a scene, I write character sketches, and then rewrite the scene with different characters and dialogue to see how the outcome changes and if my “stuckness” was merely because I had the wrong people on stage.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Robert Louis Stevenson and his books of the South Pacific. This past year, I had the opportunity to travel to Samoa and see his home and understand the world he reflected in his stories. The three months in the South Pacific truly helped me understand how much we have lost and will continue to lose if there is not a conscious effort to bring more Pacific Islander authors and stories to the world stage. I also read a lot of Fantasy authors who write action adventure and ‘quest’ stories, and historical war fiction authors.
What are you working on now?
A collection of short stories, called “All is Fair in Love and War,” dealing with the emotions and repercussions of conflict. I am also working to edit an anthology of Pacific Islander stories to come out in 2025.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love sites like Awesome Gang who have cultivated readers and provide them with books that might not reach their radar otherwise. There are millions of books out there and so many will disappear into the ether if we don’t champion those we like.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t write in a vacuum. Find beta readers and listen to their feedback. Hire good editors and get their prospective. Determine who your audience is and have them read and review their thoughts and reactions. The more people who help guide your story and ask the tough questions early, the better your story will resonate when it reaches publication.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Park yourself in your writing space every day. It doesn’t matter if you write 500 words or 10,000 words in a writing session. The book isn’t going to write itself and only consistent daily application will make the magic happen.
What are you reading now?
I came back from Samoa with a huge TBR! I am reading a lot of mythology and stories with cultural significance that I hope will infuse my future writings. I am also reading a fair amount of fantasy because I love world-building and unique magic systems.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Reading more widely, listening to other voices, and learning how to be a better advocate. I want to continue to grow as a storyteller. There is so much more out there that needs to be said.
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?
Oh, boy. I would pick some doorstoppers. I would also try to sneak some series with the idea that the only reason they are in separate books is because my arms would fall off trying to hold them up as I read in bed. But my suitcase would definitely include fantasy books by N.K. Jemison, Tad Williams, and J.R.R. Tolkien. Series mysteries by Laurie R. King, and William Kent Kreuger. Omnibus and boxed sets by Lindsey Buroker, Kat Ross, and Garth Nix. Historical series by Susanna Kearsley and Winston Graham. By then, my weight limit would be exceeded, and I would probably only be able to pack one dress and my toothbrush. It’s a sacrifice I am willing to make.
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