Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an author, editor, and gourmet mushroom grower based on the NSW south coast. After finishing a PhB (Hons) in Science at the Australian National University, I worked as a paleobiogeochemist in the Netherlands and then vagabonded my way across Europe working on small farms. Now I live in a tent, write young adult science fiction, culture bioluminescent fungi, and hang out with my donkey, Mindy!
I’ve written two books – the first two instalments of the ‘Kindred Ties’ trilogy (Convergence and Emergence). Book 3 will be out in May 2019!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Emergence, and it is definitely inspired by my science background (and my intense love of ‘Avatar The Last Airbender’). I used to sit in lectures at university daydreaming about potential applications of molecular jugglery, geology, electromagnetic radiation, evolution….Emergence winds a spiritual element through our understanding of natural phenomenon.
In Emergence, the Convergence gene is a mutation on the mitochondrial gene sequence that enables a person to form a telepathic bond with a unique animal partner. The Walkers alone have the unique ability to communicate with all animals from one of the three biomes of air, earth, and water. Science is the backbone for the convergence between humans and animals, but I also incorporate a parallel universe, the spirit world, which only the Walkers can enter through meditation. The Walkers’ abilities are tied to the existence of ancient spirits composed of pure energy that can traverse the boundary between worlds.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ve lived in a caravan, my van, and a tent, and I’ve written in all of these places. I also tend to listen to one song on repeat while writing, which is pretty weird. Oh, and lots of tea is also necessary.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Ender’s Game series by Orson Scott Card – I read these when I was young, and they’ve really stuck with me. I loved the world, the science, the terminology, and how smart and able the Battle School kids are (Bean will always be my favourite).
Dune by Frank Herbert – another book I read when I was young; the beautifully crafted Arrakis will always be with me.
Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald – The first time I saw myself (as a budding baby queer) in a story.
Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund – I took this with me on my travels, and it’s a BIG book to lug around. That’s how much I love it.
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson – all of his novels take interesting scientific, historical, and philosophical concepts and mash them together until your brain explodes with new possibilities. Just, wow.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky – the evolutionary narrative, the science – I adored this book. Tchaikovsky creates an alternative history that challenges human superiority to the very core.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, by Yuval Noah Harari – an insightful examination of humanity’s insatiable quest for connection and to understand our place in the universe and the energy that surrounds us.
What are you working on now?
I’m busy working on book 3 of the Kindred Ties series, which will be released in May 2019.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Forcing my friends to read my books, creeping out on Goodreads, and notes delivered by carrier pigeon.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do it. I’m so glad I had the guts to do it. I’m the happiest and most empowered I’ve ever been in my life. When you’re working on a piece of writing, your days will be more vibrant, exciting, and rewarding. We’ve only got, what, eighty or ninety years of life? Why not spend them doing things we truly believe in? I think Seneca, in his treatise ‘On the Shortness of Life’, sums it up: “So it is: we are not given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it.” Don’t waste it. Just Freaking Do It.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I love Haruki Murakami’s intense writing day schedule – it involves a full morning writing, followed by a long run or swim, and an early bedtime. I also always tend to gravitate to Hemingway’s advice: “daily, diligent, urgent progress.”
What are you reading now?
Obsidio, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Loving it!
What’s next for you as a writer?
More adventures and daydreaming, I hope.
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?
Great question. Definitely some sort of survival manual, ‘The Arabian Nights’, ‘Ahab’s Wife’, and a blank notebook to record my adventure for posterity.
Author Websites and Profiles
Marita Smith Website
Marita Smith Amazon Profile
Marita Smith’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account