Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am Ryan Carriere and Firestone is my debut novel. Before my recent plunge into writing I toiled away in the corporate world as a Parks Planning Manager for my local municipality. One day I thought to myself, ‘what am I doing here? And do I really want to do this the rest of my life?’ I quickly answered those questions, found my passion and here I am about to publish my first novel.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Firestone is set in prehistory, 12,000 years ago when the world as we know it was not always so tame. The land was filled with mystic creatures, an advanced civilization, ancient clans and magical eternal stones that connected it all.Two very different groups race for a hidden eternal stone, one led by a mystic vision and the other by blood magic. Unaware of the others existence: when will their stories intertwine?
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do. I try to write everyday, which is pretty standard. And I try to write around 2000 words a day… which again, is fairly standard for ‘productive’ authors… but what I do that is unusual, is sometimes I can write for a very long period of time, without breaks, without eating or drinking. After a session like that I look up from the screen and realize it is dark and I have been writing all day. I am thirsty, hungry, and in need of a very good stretch! LOL. I try not to do this anymore, as it is not the healthiest of habits, but sometimes it is hard to stop it when the words flow.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Whatever I read influences my writing. I can’t pinpoint one author over the other but for me I believe I have a unique style that is my own. When I write I become the characters and see through their eyes—they influence me more than other authors.
What are you working on now?
I just finished of the first draft of Book 2 of the Eternal Stones series: Bloodstone!!! So whoo hoo!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
my website www.ryancarriere.ca has all the links and updates to keep you fresh on what I am up to.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, write, write, then write some more. Don’t get attached to your words, and don’t be afraid to rewrite chapters. What you first write is usually a jumbled mess of ideas waiting to be sorted and organized. There are usually several gems in the heap of garbage and it is your job to focus and select those gems for your story.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Follow your dreams. I never, ever, ever thought i would be a writer. Ever. Not until last year when i left my ‘very stable’ job to write a novel. One day I got an idea and plotted out the whole four book series in one afternoon. Mind you, that outline was very drafty and high level, but to this day, i use it as my focus.
What are you reading now?
The hunger games, again.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Once I finish the four book (A Tale of the Eternal Stones series), i have already begun to plan out a spin-off series called ‘Storyfire Tales’ that focuses on Unn Truthsay’r telling stories of how the Great Spirit Clan came to be. It is set ten years before the first book, Firestone takes place.
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?
One would definitely be a survival book… LOL. I would take two of my favorite ‘nostalgia’ books that I could read over and over, ‘the crysalids’ and ‘catcher in the rye’. The other would be some ‘new sci-fi / fantasy book’ that i would randomly grab off the shelf whose cover caught my eye the most that day.
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