Author Interview – Robert Zangari

Author of A Prince’s Errand.

I am excited to be joined by one of the authors of the Tales of the Amulet series, Robert Zangari as we chat about his books and how he and his father, Dan, work together. You can check out my book review of the first book in the series, A Prince’s Errand here.

Helen: Welcome Dan! To start us off, tell us about the latest book in your epic fantasy Tales of the Amulet series.

Robert: Taking place immediately after the events of A Prince’s Errand, The Dark Necromancer continues the thrilling adventure set into motion by the discovery on Dalgilur, and the climatic conflict at the Mindolarnian Palace. The story follows Iltar, Cornar, and Elsia as they ward off secret societies, thwart conspiring necromancers, and defy vengeful princes—all while struggling to unearth the truth about the Crimson Eye. But no place, not their homeland nor an island long forgotten, is beyond their enemies’ reach—not even the Translucent Fields of Vabenack.

If you want to hear Michael Kramer narrate those exact lines, you can do so over on the book’s Kickstarter campaign or on YouTube.

Helen: I can’t wait to read The Dark Necromancer. I must admit I fell in love with Iltar and I can’t wait to see how his story pans out, and if he survives the antics of his students! This cover is amazing. There is so much going on, it’s a story in itself!

Robert: Kerem Beyit did a fabulous job capturing our imagination with the cover art for The Dark Necromancer. We wanted a scene with a struggle and he did just that by depicting our main characters climbing the stairs to meet the three powerful mages. We actually had this cover done for awhile, as we commissioned it immediately after the cover for A Prince’s Errand was finished.

We went with a purple tone because my dad’s initial draft of The Dark Necromancer back in 2001 had a purple font colour for the title. It’s just kinda stuck through all the iterations of this story.

Helen: WIth so much thought going into the covers, what about the titles?

Robert: There is a bit of a special meaning to it. Initially my dad had four stories planned; The Dark Necromancer, The Golden Dragons, The Red Ruby, and The Black Knight. The Dark Necromancer consisted of the flashbacks for his original trilogy into one story that revolved around an evil necromancer, Iltar.

Yeah, Iltar was the bad guy that set my dad’s story into motion, and in the original Chronicles of Lorn story he died in the first book, but we got glimpses into his life via flashbacks (it was very similar to what Sanderson has done in the Stormlight Archive). But my dad had ultimately pulled those flashbacks because of feedback he had received from other authors and publishers, saying that method of storytelling doesn’t work (well it obviously does for Sanderson).

So, when I was sixteen, my dad re-worked his story and made a prequel of sorts to his Chronicles of Lorn and called it The Dark Necromancer. Our initial debut novel as independent authors was titled The Dark Necromancer, which we released in 2013. When we split the book up we later called it The Dragons’ Legacy, but this current 2022 title are those same events, just told very differently and with some different outcomes.

Helen: I’m in shock! You were going to kill off Iltar? How could you? Setting my horror aside, what made you first begin writing?

Robert: Well, I actually started writing non-fiction in 2010 and published my first book as a tie-in to my martial arts business that I had at the time. But I didn’t get my start in writing fiction until after my son passed away—he was stillborn at 28 weeks gestation. In an effort to ease his passing my father approached me about working with him on finishing his series. It had been nearly twenty years since he began and he was getting nowhere fast.

I was still in school studying Bio-medical Engineering, so I was writing only part time for the first year. Then I decided I loved crafting stories more than designing artificial organs or synthetic body parts, so I switched career paths.

Helen: I truly believe writing is carthartic. I am sorry you lost your son. I began writing after my mother passed, and I truly belive writing my books helped me deal with her passing. What made you write this particular book?

Robert: Well, it’s a sequel so I kinda had to write it. But other than that, I wanted to continue the adventure we set into motion with A Prince’s Errand.

But to better expand on the question, I’ll explain why we wrote Tales of the Amulet. My father has always been fascinated with the fantasy genre, and for as long as I can remember it’s been a part of my life. In fact, this series and the world have been with me since I was five years old.

Throughout the years he worked on the stories but never really made huge progress due to other responsibilities. But when we finally started working together we wanted to produce this fantasy series as if it were finished and published back in the early 1990’s—which was when my father began working on these stories.

We wanted to produce big, thick, epic fantasy tomes, and that’s sort of our motto now.

Helen: You definitely achieved that. The Tales of the Amulet is a wonderfully complex world with amazing world building, characters and magic systems. I don’t think you could not write a tome! Do you have ideas for other books?

Robert: I mostly sit and stew on a premise until I start getting ideas. But fortunately for me, most of Tales of the Amulet is already mapped out for me. So it’s more getting ideas to flesh out the major parts of the story my dad already created.

One of the things I often find myself doing is meditating in the shower to dig deep and find the nitty-gritty details of the story. Sometimes I just go on a drive by myself in my 87’ Pontiac Fiero and let the ideas flow. Other times I will crawl into bed and wrap myself in my covers and see what comes to mind. I’m an introvert, so if I can get isolated the ideas flow.

Helen: Who do you prefer to write villains or heroes?

Robert: Oh, I don’t know. I enjoy writing a fresh POV that I’ve never written in before, as it gives me an opportunity to explore something new. That’s one of the reasons the Greater Kalda chapters are in our main stories. I do enjoy writing from Cornar’s perspective, and I feel I relate to him the most out of those I’ve written. Although writing Iltar’s pain and trauma has been cathartic.

I enjoy both the heroes and the villains. It allows me to explore two polar worldviews and see things from both sides. Plus, there’s something liberating about writing an excellent bad guy/girl. I hate Vaem from The Prisoner of Tardalim but oh was it fun writing her.

Helen: Before we move into talking about your writing process, tell us a random fact about yourself.

Robert: I am an only child, and the son of an only child (my father). When I was a kid I often played out elaborate fantasy scenes with my medieval LEGO sets, and I think that’s marks the beginning of my imaginative madness. And I still enjoy LEGOs.

Helen: We can blame it all on the LEGO!! Do you have a special working place where you find creativity flows the best?

Robert: I have an office in my basement, well as of writing this I don’t have it accessible at the moment. So, I’m up in a makeshift office in a nook in mine and my wife’s bedroom. You can see a quick tour of it over on TikTok. I mostly prefer solitude when writing. I have a hard time writing in groups or in a classroom setting. It’s gotta be the introvert in me, but I feel the creativity flow when I’m just by myself.

Helen: Do you prefer writing or editing?

Robert: Oh, writing all the way. Reviewing next, but editing is rough. For me, editing is work and the writing and reviewing is the fun part. I also enjoy outlining and planning a story, and then writing it and having my plans get messed up by my characters—I like the problem solving that comes from those hiccups.

Helen: When writing, do you prefer silence or do you have a playlist playing in the background?

Robert: Yes I do, and it varies for the mood of the scene. I prefer to listen to movie soundtracks, and I often pick a track that was in a scene that matches what I’m writing. That helps me get put the right emotional beats in the scene and helps me stay true to the outline I’ve written.

Helen: Do you plan out every scene or do you pants it and let the story take you where it will?

Robert: Planner all the way and I do stick to a few frameworks that I learned from my writing mentor, David Farland. I try to incorporate a few different story structures, typically the 10-15-25-40-10 rule that you often see in the hero’s journey or the adventure story. Once I get through the first 10% and finalize my inciting incident that gives me a good idea of how long the story is going to be. I notice it more when I am writing a short story or novella, and it’s mostly accurate as the first try-fail cycle takes 15%, the second cycle 25% and the try success taking 40% with a wrap up at the end lasting about 5-10%.

I also try to incorporate a story in the round element that links to one of the main conflicts for the characters. In A Prince’s Errand Iltar at his homestead in the beginning, and at the end of the story he ends up back there again. I did a similar thing with Amendal Aramien in The Prisoner of Tardalim where the story’s initial inciting incident begins at a tavern, the Sea Vistonia, and the book ends at the same tavern. Physical locations are often my go-to for a story in the round element, but I’ve also tried to incorporate an internal revolution for the characters like what we see with Gigaus in the short story Sorter of Mages.

Helen: Do you find you have to do much research for your books?

Robert: It depends on what elements I’m incorporating and how much knowledge I have on the subject matter before starting the story. For instance, I did a good deal of research about Antarctica while writing The Prisoner of Tardalim. I also did a few deep-dives into several different animals to study their anatomy so I could accurately create some variant creatures for the story, since it featured a conjurer as the main character.

Helen: Who was your favourite character to write?

Robert: Zanxsthy’ll, you haven’t truly met him yet if you’ve read A Prince’s Errand. Well, you sort have met him, but you don’t know him by Zanxsthy’ll (that name shows up only once during Lirathy’lu’s point of view in Mindolarn). Zanxsthy’ll embodies everything I hope I can be, the ideals I visual for my best self. He’s more of a background character until later on, but as the series progresses he takes a more prominent role. I’d love to write a series about him one day, in the vein of R.A. Salvatore’s Drizzt books.

Helen: You have some very complex names! I hope you have a glossary and a pronounciation guide. Most writers struggle with distractions and procrastination. How do you fit writing into daily life?

Robert: I try to make it a priority and the best way for me to do that is to do it first thing after I wake up and get ready for the day. I write in the mornings and revise/edit in the evenings. One thing I learned from David Farland was that our brains tend to be more creative in the mornings and more analytical in the evenings.

Since I write full time and work from home it can be challenging. There are some weeks where I only get a few thousand words down, and others where I can get a novella’s worth finished. Part of that is just the ebb and flow of life with four kids. But I feel like I’m still trying to figure it all out, schedule wise. When I think I’ve got a handle life throws a wrench at my gears and cogs.

I notice that taking a shower tends to help me focus on the story. I guess it’s the solitude and the calming of flowing water, but I will get a good deal of “pre-writing” done before hand and often see the scene play out in my mind.

Helen: If you didn’t write fantasy what genre would you like to try to write?

Robert: I’d love to dabble in some science fiction. I adore science fiction, but more of the hard sci-fi and unfortunately I’m just not smart enough for that. I feel like I’d need a doctorate to accurately pull it off. But I’m fascinated with near future Sol system settings. DOOM and Destiny are two of my favourite videogame franchises and both share a similar setting I’d love to explore myself. I guess Star Trek sort of fits into that, especial during the Enterprise show era. But I think it’d be fun to explore the planetoids of our solar system.

Helen: You lead such a busy life, with four children to keep you occupied. When not writing, what do you do to relax?

Robert: Immersing myself in a good story, whether it be movies, a TV show, a story-driven videogame, or going to plays. Before COVID-19 we used to have an annual membership to our local theatre and saw a play almost once a month. I love that experience of watching a story acted out live, and even though I’m sitting in the audience I often feel I’m there participating in the story. As mentioned before, I enjoy putting together LEGO sets, and I’ll often do that with my daughters.

Helen: What are some of the books you read recently that you would recommend to others?

Robert: I’ve been reading Robert Jordan’s Conan books because I’ve had a Sword and Sorcery itch that I needed to scratch, and they’re great! I love how he writes Conan. As far as indie goes, I highly recommend anything by M.H. Woodscourt. I finished her Wintervale Duology and it was fabulous! I’m also reading David A Trotter’s Birthrights currently, well listening to audio (narrated by Henry Kramer) and it’s one of my favourites I’ve read this year.

Helen: What is the most useful piece of writing advice you’ve been given?

Robert: David Farland (author of the Runelords) was probably the most influential author who’s given me valuable writing advice. Dave was a treasure trove of knowledge. While taking one of his classes I had approached him about a fantasy murder mystery series I wanted to do—the class was his Master Plotting class, so I had brought the series concept to use in the exercises. But, the visuals and story ideas that were coming to me weren’t what I wanted to do. When I told him about the conflict he told me, “You’re not ready to write that series. Go write this adventure instead.” And that is how The Prisoner of Tardalim was born.

Dave was like my author-dad, and he was always so happy to share his knowledge. I miss him.

Helen: His passing was a great loss. I have found authors to be so generous with their knowledge and their time. As a published author what piece of advice would you like to share to new writers?

Robert: Stick with it, no matter what. I know several writers who gave up too soon before they could truly become a published author. The hardest part is getting that first book done, but once you do you know you can write a book. So, writing another isn’t as hard.

Also, practice honing your voice. It’s often said that it takes 10,000 hours to truly master a subject, and I’d agree. I don’t think I settled into my voice until around the one million word mark. That’s one million words of prose.

Short stories are a good way to practice, but they’re not very profitable so I know many authors don’t write them.

I know it can be tempting to publish the first thing you finish, but in my experience that isn’t the best idea for your career as an author. We (my father and I) published our first project together and looking back at it, the story was solid but the writing not so much.

Helen: Thank you so much for spending the time with me today. It has been really interesting chatting with you. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Robert: You can get a FREE copy of my novella, Beneath the Frozen Wastes featuring two of our main characters, Iltar and Cornar, by joining our mailing list at https://legendsofkalda.com/pages/newsletter-1. And you can also get the first 10% (roughly 77 pages) of A Prince’s Errand when you join.

The Dark Necromancer is planned to release later this year and you can pre-order it on our website: https://legendsofkalda.com/collections/frontpage/products/the-dark-necromancer-book-two-of-tales-of-the-amulet or on Amazon (mybook.to/TheDarkNecromancer), but only the eBook is available at the moment.

My next scheduled signing is at Salt Lake City’s FanX (comic convention), September 22-24^th, 2022.

About the Author:

Robert Zangari is the co-author of the various books which belong to the Legends of Kalda universe. He studied Bio-Medical Engineering at the University of Utah; however, his love for stories and storytelling took him down a different career path. When he’s not writing he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters, playing video games, practicing martial arts and immersing himself in a good story.

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If you enjoy fantasy romance books then you will love my new release SoulBreather, part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology, and my epic fantasy Sentinal series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.

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Author Interview – Lea Cherry

Author of Starlight.

I am excited to be joined by one of my co-conspirators from the Realm of Darkness boxet today! I am chatting with YA Fantasy author, Lea Cherry about her contribution to the boxset, Starlight; which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.

Helen: Welcome Lea! To start us off, tell us about Starlight.

Lea: My contribution to the ROD set is called Starlight. It’s a fantasy story set in the realm of Elesseand where the Princess of the Kingdom is a Starlight (Someone born of the stars with magical powers) but also a fierce warrior that protects the realm from any dangers with her Legion. I don’t want to give too much away, but there is an assassin, a magi, a shifter, some romance and a lot of dangers to go through.

Helen: Sounds like you packed a lot of elements into your story. I can’t wait to read it. Your cover is gorgeous, down to the font which glistens. What were your thoughts behind the design?

Lea: The cover for Starlight took some creativity. I tried various different things but none of them actually spoke to me, so I decided to create the cover with symbols instead so that later on, I could hopefully create art to accompany the books. The cover shows a beautiful star that represents the Princess Tekana and all the Starlights before her. Even though the star is bright and beautiful, it is sharp and dangerous and should be treated carefully.

Helen: Readers be warned! What made you write a novel for an anthology?

Lea: I love reading fantasy and thought that this was a great opportunity to write one myself. I usually dabble in other genres, YA and horror to be more specific, but thought that if I could write my own fantasy, the possibility of what could happen would be endless, so here I am.

Helen: I called you a YA Fantasy author but you actually write a range of YA genres, don’t you?

Lea: I usually write Young Adult books in various subgenres as I enjoy the way the young characters discover themselves and evolve into people that are strong, independent and overall great humans. I also enjoy writing horrors because I just love it and want to test myself with writing one that can scare the pants off the readers. I’m kind of wired that way.

Helen: That is mean! I am not a fan of horror, I have too creative an imagination. Tell us about some of your other books.

Lea: My two horrors are Chimera and Devil’s Doorway which were my first trials into the genre. I have also written two YA Urban Fantasy books for a series, currently busy with the third book, that is about a girl that learns she’s a descendant of a very powerful magical race known as the Pure and that she must learn to harness her powers before the Tainted (villains) can claim her soul to resurrect their leader. There is also a poetry journal that I co-wrote with another author as a companion book for her dragon series to give her main dragon character a poetry voice.

Helen: I bet that was a fun project, especially with dragons involved. You are multi-talented for sure. Many writers find inspiration from music, when you are writing do you listen to music?

Lea: I can’t, at all. If I listen to music, I find myself singing along and then I can’t concentrate of what I’m writing. If I listen to something, it is usually instrumental music that sounds like it could have been on the book’s soundtrack. Like Celtic instrumental songs for my fantasy stories. I do however listen to certain songs before I write to get me into the scene, like rock music before I write a fight scene, or something emo and sad for the heart-breaking stuff.

Helen: When I’m editing and solving plot knots it has to be instrumental, as like you I get distracted by the words of the song. But when I’m writing that first draft, anything goes. Do you plot out your novels or are you a pantser?

Lea: You could say I’m a plantser. I plot out the basics of my story, the most important things like characters, settings and the plot of how the story should go, but then I pants a lot of the story to give myself or rather my characters the freedom to sometimes roam free and choose other paths to get to their goal.

Helen: Characters do tend to have a mind of their own and go off on unplanned tangents. Do you have to much research for your books?

Lea: Sometimes way too much. I tend to fall into the rabbit hole with research, but only when I feel that there should be more and especially if the subject I’m researching is very interesting.

Helen: Tell us something random about yourself.

Lea: I’m from South Africa and English is my second language, is that random enough?

Helen: Wow! And you are writing in English which makes your work even more amazing. Thank you so much for chatting with me today. It’s been such fun talking shop. As we reach the end of our time together just to finish, when not writing what do you spend your time on?

Lea: My hobbies include watching movies, reading and painting. I have started teaching both my daughters to draw and they love it so a lot of the time they want to know how to draw something so if I don’t know, then we all learn something new that day. On a different note, just because I enjoy it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m great at it.

Helen: Thank you for joining me tody Lea. I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is only a month or so away. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c/79p!

Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!

About the Author:

Lea Cherry is an international bestselling author residing in South Africa with her husband and two daughters. With a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing, she shares the spark of language in Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror, and Thriller. When she is not crafting stories, she shares her time with her family watching movies, painting, and reading up a storm when she is not exploring the outdoors on camping trips. Her first book in the Descendant series is set to arrive in 2021 and is filled with magic and adventure that will keep you wanting more.

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Other books by Lea Cherry

Hidden, Book one of the Descendents

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Devil’s Doorway

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Author Interview – Elle Hartford

Author of Beauty & the Alchemist.

Today I am chatting with Elle Hartford who is celebrating the release of her cozy mystery/fairytale retelling Beauty and the Alchemist which releases today, August 12th, 2022.

Helen: Welcome Elle. Congratulations on the relase of your new book Beauty & the Alchemist. It seems like it’s a mixture of multiple genres, tell us a little about it.

Elle: Hi! I’m really excited for this book. It’s called Beauty and the Alchemist, and it’s a cozy mystery retelling of Beauty and the Beast. My main character is an alchemist named Red, who’s really just trying to live her life making potions in fairy tale Belville. But when a criminal is found murdered in a nearby haunted castle, and Red’s best friend takes the blame, she has to jump in and find the truth. There’s ancient curses, supportive friends, and–of course!–a huge library.

Helen: Oh, and you’re playing with fairytales as well. You are mixing up the bag! How did you come up with idea to mix genres?

Elle: My friends on social media have accused me of making up my own genre, and I guess they’re right! But that’s not what I set out to do. I’ve been a long time reader of cozy mysteries (mysteries where the focus is on the puzzle and the community, not so much on grim crimes or police procedure). A lot of cozies have a witchy or “paranormal” theme, so to me, it seemed natural to extend that just a little bit, to include fairy tales and magic creatures. So, often I’ll describe my subgenre as “fairy tale-inspired cozy” or even cozy fantasy. I just love it, because it takes the warm feelings and brain teasers of cozy mystery and adds magic–what could be better?

Helen: Sounds like an excellent new genre to me! I always think covers are the most difficult to create, how about you? How did you decide what the cover should be?

Elle: I really wanted my cover to have a classic cozy mystery look–a picturesque scene with a hint of danger, and the cozy companion front and center, naturally. So William, the black dog, is sitting on the path watching as Red’s cloak disappears into the woods below the ghostly castle. Normally, William would refuse to sit still while Red runs toward the unknown, but I liked how this scene combines both the lost castle of Beauty and the Beast with the dark forest of Little Red Riding Hood (Red’s namesake).

Helen: I think it’s so interesting that you’re mashing up fairytales as well. Tell us about your protagonist, Red.

Elle: My protagonist is the alchemist, Red, who recently gave up a life of being a traveling potion-maker to settle down in rural Belville. She’s smart, resourceful, and a little bit mysterious. She also cares a lot about her friends, even if she won’t always admit it outright–often, she feels like an outsider, even though many people in Belville welcome her immediately. I myself can relate to Red’s shyness when it comes to trusting relationships, so that’s probably part of why I wrote her. But also, more practically, who better to solve mysteries than a natural scientist with botanical knowledge, an alchemical lab, and an arsenal of special tools?

Helen: If Red could answer this question, why would she say we should read your book?

Elle: Red would say that we should read the book for Luca, her best friend in Belville, or for Gloria, her irascible neighbor. Both Gloria and Luca have their own personal struggles that they have to overcome in the course of the book. Red helps them both, in her way, but she would definitely give them most of the credit.

Helen: Who is your favourite character in your book?

Elle: What a tough question! I love so many of my characters, each for a different reason. But one of the characters who made me smile the most while I was writing is Trent, a young witch who gets roped into the investigation. He reminds me very much of my little brother (though both Trent and my brother are too big now to really be thought of as “little”!).

Helen: When writing cozy fantasy novels, with a touch of fairytale magic, do you still find yourself doing research?

Elle: Tons. If you could see my office, you might think I was an alchemist fresh from the twelfth century–or a scholar of some kind! This series has been a very good excuse to collect books. 🙂 The alchemy that Red practices is based on historical science and mysticism–think things like the Elixir of Life and proto-chemistry. And then, of course, I also research a lot of folklore for each story too, since many of them are based on fairy tales or legends. I love breathing new life into old things!

Helen: Thank you so much for joining me today Elle, and congratulations on the release of your cozy fantasy novel. A final question for you. What advice would give aspiring writers?

Elle: My opinion on this has changed a lot during my journey to publication. I think my advice would be twofold: first, find a critique partner or editor or writing group whose opinion you trust, and who you feel safe sharing your work with. Having someone with a completely different perspective from me point out the highs and lows of my manuscripts has been invaluable–it may feel hard to accept feedback in the moment, but it makes you so much more confident in the end, because you know you’ve covered your bases. So that’s part one: value an outside perspective. But part two is definitely to believe in yourself. If you can do that, truly–and it is very hard!–then you’re golden. A lot of my books boil down to just that.

And catching murderers, of course. 😉

Thank you so, so much for having me on, and giving me a chance to ramble about things I love!

About the Author:

Elle Hartford

Elle adores cozy mysteries, fairy tales, and above all, learning new things. As a historian and educator, she believes in the value of stories as a mirror for complicated realities. She currently lives in New Jersey with a grumpy tortoise and a three-legged cat.

Find more stories of Red and her friends at ellehartford.com. And while you’re there, sign up for Elle’s newsletter to get bonus material, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and terrible jokes!

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You can order Beauty and the Alchemist from Amazon:

UK: eBook | Paperback

USA: eBook | Paperback

As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.

If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and keep up with progress on my next books are published.

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Author Interview – ES Fein

Author of A Dream of Waking Life.

Join me as I chat with ES Fein about his psychological thriller which released on May 6, 2022. Interested in lucid dreaming and existential discussions? Then check out his podcast.

Helen: Welcome Eric. I am so happy to be speaking to you today about your new book. It sounds so cool, and definitely a little mind bending!

Eric: A Dream of Waking Life is a philosophical, psychological thriller that tells the story of one man’s journey through space, time, and mind to not only discover his true identity but also the love of his life—a woman who keeps slipping through his fingers and into another reality. A thought-provoking meditation on the thin line between what is real and what is not, A Dream of Waking Life will leave readers questioning how far they would go to understand the nature of their own existence and how much they would sacrifice for love.

Helen: Oh, that sounds deep and very intriguing. As is your cover. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Eric: The cover represents the three predominant dreams/worlds/realities (part of the grand mystery of the story is the uncertainty of what is real) that the protagonist is stuck in. I wanted the cover to appear as if these realities are blending into one another. The two figures standing and looking at the large tower, called “The Tower of God” in the story, are the main characters. You will also notice a small figure in the sky watching over them. I won’t say who that is. You’ll have to read the story to find out!

Helen: It is an interesting cover, you want to flip it around and inspect the alternate view to see what is different, because it is not a true reflection. What made you write such a complex and thought provoking book?

Eric: I wrote this book as a reflection on my lifelong experiences with lucid dreaming, existential confusion, bipolarism, thousands of psychonautical trips using DMT and other potent psychedelics, and the most important thing in existence: love.

Helen: I’ve never even heard of lucid dreaming, so colour me interested. I’m definitely going to be checking that out, when I find the time lol! I’m knee-deep in editing at the moment and my deadline is looming. You have some great reviews for your book already, and ‘unputdownable’ is the clear message. What genre does this book fit into?

Eric: I predominantly read and write scifi. A Dream of Waking Life isn’t pure scifi, but it definitely fits into the category. I love scifi stories because they are constantly forcing readers to wonder about reality and ask the big questions of existence: Who are we? Why are we here? What’s the purpose of reality? What the heck is going on?

Helen: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, it is such an achievement. What made you first put pen to paper and write a book?

Eric: I’ve been writing and telling stories for as long as I can remember. I remember in preschool, I used to have kids laughing and jumping in excitement as I made up wild and zany stories about what I had gone through on my way to school. The other kids called it “Eric story time,” and it felt as natural as breathing to me.

Helen: When writing do you prefer silence? or do you surround yourself with music?

Eric: Always! I listen to jazzhop or lofi hip hop when I write.

Helen: Is there anything random you would like share about yourself?

Eric: I was born without a right pectoral muscle. It used to cause incredible depression and self-hatred, even leading me to attempt suicide several times when I was young. Now, at 33, I see it as a blessing that has taught me how to accept imperfection and find beauty in all forms.

Helen: I am so sorry to hear you had to deal with such issues, but really happy that you found your way out and have embraced who you are and can appreciate all that is around you, and that you channelled your emotions and creativity into writing. What is the most useful piece of advice you have found about writing?

Eric: The author, Robert Heinlein, said in a book of writing tips something along the lines of: “Throw it all up! The only way to write is to throw up everything until it’s a complete mess. Once it’s all out, then you can go back and sift through the barf to find the actual story you’re looking for.”

Helen: Thank you Eric, for spending time with me today, I’ve loved chatting with you. Just to close out, is there any advice you would like to share with any aspiring writers?

Eric: Don’t expect to succeed in the traditional sense. If you aren’t writing because you enjoy writing, this will almost undeniably be a heart-breaking experience for you.

About the Author:

Reader, author, and purveyor of top-shelf science fiction, speculative fiction, and fantasy. My favorite subjects to read and write about include transhumanism, esotericism, cosmological ontology, existential ontology, Eastern philosophy, hard sci Fi, soft sci Fi, time travel, space exploration, psychological exploration, pansexualism, religion, mythology, space opera, experimentation with entheogens, and more. I like strange characters dealing with strange situations. Check out some free short stories on my site: Officialesfein.com

For all the latest news:

You can preorder A Dream of Waking Life from Amazon:

UK: eBook | Paperback

USA: eBook | Paperback

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Author Interview – Edith Pawlicki

Author of Trials of Fire and Rebirth

Today I am chatting with epic fantasy author, Edith Pawlicki, about her new novel Trials of Fire and Rebirth, which is a standalone novel in her Immortal Beings world and released, June 14th, 2022.

Helen: Welcome Edith! Congratulations on the release of your new book! I’m so excited to be chatting to a fellow epic fantasy author. Tell us a little about your latest book.

Edith: Trials of Fire and Rebirth is a standalone in my Immortal Beings world. The whole series is epic fantasy, but this book is much more intimate than the first two – it focuses on the complicated histories of an young immortal who cannot remember her past and a powerful god who is ashamed of his. Of course, their mysteries and regrets are tied together, and both come to the fore as they deal with a very unpleasant mortal cult.

Helen: I love your cover, the imagery is very clever, especially the person within the butterfly. But you have chosen to have two covers haven’t you?

Edith: The Kindle cover reflects book’s magic, which is based on color. Karana, the God of Destruction, has red and white magic, and An Ning, the Peace Bringer has black magic. Butterflies are tied to redemption and rebirth in my mind, and when I saw this premade art with the butterfly and the person inside, I thought it matched the themes of the book and the interior motif. I edited it to be red and black and added the white smoke, hopefully evoking fire!

The physical book cover shows Karana, the God of Destruction, and An Ning, the Peace Bringer, with one of their pet Bulgae (aka a firedog). The series marker is actually a red ink stamp, the material is scanned and color-edited rice paper, and washi origami paper is behind the artwork. This is a character-driven epic fantasy – thus the artwork – and a pan-Asia influenced world, so I tried to echo the style of antique Chinese epics.

Helen: Both covers are lovely! How did you come up with the title?

Edith: All the titles in the Immortal Beings series follow the — of — and —- format, to tie them together. For this book, the God of Destruction is dealing with fire, the Peace Bringer is dealing with rebirth, and both of them go through some really wretched situations – trials! – together.

Helen: What inspired you to write this book?

Edith: Recent world events had led me to ponder objective versus subjective truth, and I realized that since the magic of the Immortal Beings is shaped by belief, it would be a great way to explore the way they interact and influence each other. There’s a temptation to assume everything is either true or false, but the power of the human imagination is such that if enough people deeply believe in something (i.e. that paper printed with faces and numbers is valuable) it becomes so. And yet, it’s also possible for thousands of people to believe something and yet it remains a lie that is dangerous to humanity as a whole. Anyway, I set this story up with a character who was facing her own internal contradiction (gender dysphoria) and a human cult with theirs (burning people alive to reincarnate), and set off to find the lines between truth and lie, denial and acceptance.

Helen: Oh my, what an interesting and deep concept. You would need some resolute characters to shoulder such heavy burdens. Tell us about them.

Edith: This book started with Karana; he’s a side character in the first two books, and I became intrigued by his contradictions. He embraces his bad reputation, and he has done terrible things, but he’s genuinely kind and clearly regretful. I wanted to understand him better and also give him a path to redemption. Since he starts as a deeply cynical character who’s running from his mistakes, he had to be balanced by An Ning, an optimistic character with an over-developed sense of personal responsibility. She is strong and compassionate character – a joy to write. Since Karana was in the middle of condemning a mass delusion with the cult, I wanted An Ning to have a “delusion” of her own, something deeply personal that had no effect on others but hurt her when denied. I saw an interesting way to explore gender identity within the magic system, so that just clicked, contrasting and complementing the cult arc.

Helen: They sound amazing and so rich. You’ve created a complex world. What genre do you typically like to write?

Edith: I write speculative fiction with a strong focus on characters and romance. The Immortal Beings fiction is epic fantasy, my YA series is light sci-fi set in a nuclear winter. Characters and relationships (romantic or not) are really what fascinate me, and when I first started writing, I actually leaned into romances. However, I found it really difficult to keep the tension high for a whole novel because I have no patience for angst or miscommunication! I realized that when I start with a speculation, a conflict that is larger than the characters, and then grab an internal conflict that echoes it, I have no problem keeping the tension high for a whole book, and I enjoy it more! Why I do fantasy instead of an adventure or a mystery… well, I don’t know! It’s just the way my brain works!

Helen: Thank you so much for chatting with me today. I wish you all the best with your books. Just to close, if I asked your characters why we should read this book, what would they say?

Edith: If you asked Karana, I think he’d tell you the book was none of your business! He’s pretty standoffish. But if you asked An Ning, she’d say you should read the book because it’s terribly romantic and because it shows that it’s never too late to change – redemption is always there for those who choose it and that we can all be more ourselves.

About the Author:

Edith Pawlicki lives in Connecticut with her husband, twin sons, dog, and two rabbits. She fell in love with words in fourth grade and finds writing necessary to free the worlds and characters in her head. When she isn’t busy being a mom and author, she enjoys cooking and crafts. In addition to the Immortal Beings series, she has also written a YA science fiction novel, Minerva.

You can order Trials of Fire and Rebirth from Amazon:

UK: eBook

USA: eBook

Papaerback preorder -release 16th September 2022.

As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.

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Author Interview – Laura Quinn

Author of Thicker Than Water.

Today I am chatting with historical fiction author, Laura Quinn, about her debut novel Thicker than Water, which is an investigation into family ties and a sweeping saga of betrayal, lies, and loss on all sides et against the abckdrop of the First World War.

Helen: Welcome Laura! First congratulations on writing a novel and now publishing it. Such an amazing feeling to publish your first book. Tell us a little about it.

Laura: Titanic meets Boardwalk Empire in this historical fiction set against the picturesque shore town of Cape May, NJ, at the onset of World War One. Siblings Danny and Shannon Culligan are trapped under the thumb of their alcoholic father. Danny’s been in love with his childhood sweetheart, Jennie Martin- a wealthy cottager from Philadelphia- for as long as he can remember while her cousin, Hugh, is smitten with his sister.

As the foursome struggles to surmount the class differences between them, the nation is plunged into the Great War, changing all of their lives forever. Danny is drafted into the Army and Hugh enlists in the Navy- defending the home front as a lieutenant at Cape May Section Base Number 9. While Jennie works tirelessly on the Liberty Loans campaign in Philadelphia, Shannon finds herself ensnared in a rum ring operation as the temperance movement ebbs closer to its goal of Prohibition. A sweeping saga of betrayal, lies, and loss on all sides, Thicker Than Water, marries the historically accurate world building of Ellen Marie Wiseman’s The Orphan Collector with the emotional resonance of Renee Rosen’s works.

Helen: I love writing Fantasy novels because I can make it all up, but you have written a historical novel about real places and real events. This must be so much more challenging. I have been really fortunate to read an early copy, and I loved it – (you can read my book review here) – Your attention to detail is phenomenal. How much research did you have to do for your book?

Laura: I spent two years in research and development before putting pen to paper. With regard to historical events in narrative, I tried to stay as close to source material as possible throughout. A NJ resident myself, making sure the details were accurate was a matter of utmost importance to me from the beginning. Writing about a pandemic while living through one was particularly difficult. My research and outline for TTW was completed prior to the COVID-19 lockdowns. There were times in the last two years where I strongly considered changing these chapters (or eliminating them completely from a reader-sensitivity standpoint). My only hope is that I did justice to those lives impacted in both outbreaks.

Helen: You have chosen quite a dramatic cover, with the monotone colours and the stormy seas. Is there a story behind how you came up with your cover?

Laura: The cover and paperback interior design were done by Elite Authors. As a debut author, I had many questions and the staff were wonderful to work with. I had some very clear ideas when it came to the cover, and shared samples of photography I’d found on iStock and Unsplash that I felt conveyed the tone of my novel. Without getting into spoilers, I can tell you that a crucial scene occurs in the midst of a nor’easter storm coming ashore. The event goes on to impact all four main characters in different ways, some of which are explored in Thicker Than Water, the others in the two sequels planned.

Helen: It’s great news that there is more to come! Let’s talk a little about how you write. Do you have a specific writing space where you like to work?

Laura: Oddly enough, at my dining room table. I like to spread out, so my “workspace” has plenty of room for me to lay out reference materials on one side of me and notes on the other. The room also has large windows and gets a lot of natural sunlight, so it’s a cozy environment. The back window faces my kids’ play area in our yard, so I can keep eyes and ears on them, too, from where I am. You can usually find our tabby, Tigger, snuggled somewhere close by.

Helen: Writing companions are the best! My cat Alfie is usually the same, curled up nearby. When not writing what do you like to do?

Laura: I enjoy many hobbies outside the bookish variety. Spending time with my family is my favorite, even if it’s just shuffling the kids to-and-from one of their activities. I love watching them perform, be it on the ballet stage or the soccer field. I also love gardening, and just planted my annuals for this season. We can learn so much from nature. It always inspires me.

Helen: Most writers are great readers, do you have a favourite book?

Laura: Little Women. I read a junior edition when I was in third grade for my first book report and fell in love with the story. My late grandmother gifted me a beautiful hardcover to commemorate the event. I’ve read it several times over and it holds an honored place on the coffee table in my living room.

Helen: How lovely! I love it when a book has a story to go woth it, evoking special memories. Thank you so much for spending time with me today. Good luck with your launch and congratulations again on the launch of your debut novel. Just to finish, do you have any advice for other aspiring authors?

Laura: Get it down. Whether handwritten in a notebook, typed up on a laptop, or texted from your phone when you can’t sleep. Tell your story. Be authentic and don’t hold back.

About the Author:

Laura Quinn currently resides in southern New Jersey with her husband, two children, and spoiled tabby cat. When not writing or consuming copious amounts of coffee, she enjoys hiking, the beach, and spending time with her family. Thicker Than Water is her debut novel, with two additional books planned to round out the Culligans’ saga.

You can order Thicker Than Water from Amazon:

UK: eBook | Paperback

USA: eBook | Paperback

Papaerback preorder -release 16th September 2022.

As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.

If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my books which are available in eBook, paperback or hardcover: Book One: Sentinals Awaken. Book Two: Sentinals Rising. Book Three: Sentinals Justice. Book 3.5: Sentinals Recovery. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next book releases.

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Check out my Author Interview on the Scribbled Notes Podcast

I had such fun chatting with Jahmil Effend on his podcast Scribbled Notes.

We chat about my writing journey, my books, world building and the sheer joy of writing.

You can find it on:

Spotify

Youtube

or iTunes

If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.

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Author Interview – Rachel Stanley

Author of the paranormal A Grim series.

Today, I am chatting with Rachel Stanley about her paranormal fantasy A Grim series. Rachel is revealing her cover for the third installment A Grim Ending today!!! I’m so excited to be part of her cover reveal!! Isn’t it gorgeous?? Can’t wait to dig into her thoughts behind the cover!

Helen: Welcome Rachel! I’m so excited to be sharing the cover reveal for your next book! A Grim Ending. Why don’t you start us off by introducing yourself?

Rachel: Hi! My name is Rachel Stanley, it’s lovely to meet you all. I’m a UK based author living in the Northwest of England. I live with my husband and our two cats – Cooper and Watson, who actually feature in my first series of books. I’ve always been an avid reader; I fell in love with fantasy when I was a child and my best friend’s brother lent my The Belgariad by David Eddings. I never returned his books because I loved them so much! I actually wore them out because I re-read them so often. Don’t worry, I now have them on my kindle so that I can re-read them whenever I want. I have tried most other genres but nowadays I tend to stick with fantasy – if there isn’t a vampire or werewolf, witch or wizard in it, it probably isn’t for me. Ironically, my books have none of the those in them! What else do you want to know? I love to travel, and I love animals. I aspire to see as much of the world as possible before I die and there are still some animals that I want to see in the wild. I’ve been lucky enough to tick off some major ones though – bears, whales and even otters!

Helen: Oh I’m a fan of David Eddings, espacially his Belgarion/Mallorean series, I just love his characters. Definitely a character driven series entwined with a quest! and they are all so relatable! I think Emperor Kal’zakath is my favourite, or maybe Silk, or no maybe…! But enough of that, tell us a little about your current work in progress!

Rachel: I’m currently editing A Grim Ending. It’s the final part of a trilogy that focusses on Emma and Blake. Emma is so normal that even her own mother has been known to accuse her of being boring and Blake is… well, Blake is her soulmate. He’s also the Grim Reaper! Although he would be furious if he knew that I’d described him as such because his title is the Keeper of Souls. It’s difficult to tell you too much about A Grim Ending without giving away snippets of the two books that precede it – A Grim Affair and A Grim Haunt. Suffice it to say that poor Emma suffers some more in A Grim Ending! But I hope that even though all three books have dark undertones, I’ve kept the storytelling quite light.

Helen: I loved the first book, you can find my book review here! Must get around to reading the second before The Grim Ending releases! Tell us about your covers, they are so vibrant and to the point!

Rachel: The cover of all three of my books is dominated by a scythe, as you would expect, right? A Grim Affair has ice crystals on the cover. This was done purposely because Blake is cold throughout the book. He’s been on his own for nearly a thousand years and he’s bored and lonely. That’s made him… ah… shall we say a little bit disconnected. In comparison A Grim Haunt has rising water on the front. This is representative of one of the scenes in the book. You’ll need to read it to find out exactly what happens though! And A Grim Ending has flames on it. Again it’s representative of one of the key elements of the story. I think A Grim Haunt it my favourite though.

Helen: I love to hear the thoughts behind the designs! What made you start writing this series?

Rachel: I get asked this question all the time! I started writing A Grim Affair because of a dream. In the dream a man – Blake – is stood watching a second man who has a 50:50 chance of dying. I couldn’t get the dream out of my head. I kept wondering who Blake was, what he was doing, how he knew that the second man had a 50:50 chance of dying etc, etc. I started writing the story down just so that the ideas would get out of my head. At the time I was really busy in my day job and A Grim Affair served as a way to switch off. In the end I got so far into the story that I figured I might as well finish it and that I might as well publish it. I didn’t spend years searching for an agent or a publisher. One Sunday afternoon, when I’d finished, I simply uploaded it to Amazon. And then I realised what I’d done and went back and had it properly edited and I bought an actual cover. Lol. I did everything wrong!

Helen: They look so pretty together! Such a beautiful blue! And you write fantasy because…?

Rachel: I’m a fantasy writer because it’s what I love to read. Also, you get to make up stuff and no one can tell you that it’s wrong!

Helen: Tell us a little about your protagonist and why you wrote about her.

Rachel: As I said before, my protagonist is Emma, someone who’s so normal that even her own mother has been known to accuse her of being boring. I wrote Emma that way on purpose because I wanted to read about someone like me whose world was turned upside down by abnormal events. Emma is tall, a traditional British pear with long, red hair, hazel coloured eyes and a smattering of freckles across a nose. She works as a vet nurse and has a little house that she shares with her fur babies (Cooper and Watson). She’s fiercely loyal to those she loves but a little aloof with everyone else, and she likes nothing better than being in her own home baking or gardening. She’s not entirely like me (my mother-in-law, who’s a keen gardener like Emma, cringes when I say that I’m going to do some gardening!), but she’s a lot like me.

Helen: If I asked Emma why we should read your books, what would she say?

Rachel: Emma would probably tell you to read all of the books in A Grim Series because she’d hope that by doing so you’d start to understand Blake a little better.

Helen: And she would be right. Your series is amazing! Who is your favourite character to write?

Rachel: My favourite character in A Grim Series is Abaddon. Well, she’s not the one that I love the most because that would be Emma and Blake, but she’s such fun to write. She’s an angel who is connected to Emma and Blake’s back story. You’ll have to read the series find out exactly how she’s connected, and whether she’s a hero or a villain, but she’s such fun to write because she’s so outrageous. She’s extremely liberal and is always coming out with the most outlandish remarks. Also, because she’s an angel, she can look like whoever she wants to look like and it’s good fun coming up with new bodies for Abaddon to ‘wear’.

Helen: Characters that give you flexibility and freedom are the best to write, because you never know where you might end up! Do you plan your books or do you let them take you where they will?

Rachel: I’m a pantser. I wish I was a planner because I often write myself into holes that my husband has to dig me out of, but I just can’t do it. When I started A Grim Affair, I literally had one scene in my mind. Some way into the book, I worked out the ending of the series but I had no idea how I would get there. I’m often surprised by my own characters. They go rogue on me all the time!

Helen: Mine do as well! I always seem to end up places I wasn’t expecting! Do you find yourself doing a lot of research for your books?

Rachel: I refer you to one of my previous answers, lol! The great thing about writing fantasy is that you get to make stuff up and no one can tell you that it’s wrong! Before writing A Grim Series though, I did do quite a bit of research into grim reaper mythology, and that influenced several aspects of the story. I intend to write an article that will be at the back of A Grim Ending to share some of what I learned. It’s fascinating stuff! I always liked mythology as a child. It’s no wonder really that I became a fantasy writer. I also make sure snippets of information are correct. As an example, the prologue of each book in A Grim Series is set on a specific day in the World War One. I did several google searches to make sure that what I was describing was as authentic as I could make it.

Helen: It is surprising as a fantasy author how much research does come into it, and you find yourself researching the strangest things!! How do you fit your writing into everyday life?

Rachel: So, this is one of the hardest things about being a writer, finding the time. Personally, I work long hours during the week so I never try and write on a weekday. That leaves me with the weekend. I’m an early bird so I always write on a Saturday and Sunday morning before my hubby gets up. It doesn’t give me much time each week, but it’s enough.

Helen: I know the feeling! We’re almost at the end, it has been lovely learning more about your books. Tell us something random about yourself.

Rachel: Hmmm, something random about me. Well, I used this with my day job team the other day and they were surprised so perhaps you’ll be surprised to know that I have two tattoos. Neither of them see the light of day all that often because being a UK based author I tend to be covered up. It’s no joke that it rains A LOT in the UK.

Helen: Now we want to know what those tattoos are!! You can’t leave it there!! But we are at the end of time together and I have so enjoyed chatting with you. Good luck with the release of your final installment The Grim Ending. I love the cover, even more so now you pointed out the elements! Just to finish, what advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Rachel: Just do it. If you want to be a writer, be a writer. It’s that easy. It’s also quite hard. It’s hard finding the time and it’s hard being disciplined enough, but it’s worth it. Even though I’ve not yet made it to giddy heights that JK Rowling has, there’s nothing quite like knowing that someone is reading your work. And when – if – they leave a positive review… well, that’s an amazing feeling.

About the Author:

Rachel Stanley lives in the Northwest of England. She has always wanted to write stories but only found the time to put pen to paper after a dream about a Grim Reaper. True story!

She’s spent most of her adult life working as a project manager, despite her degree being in psychology. Her degree comes in handy though, helping her to understand people and their different motivations. Rachel loves people watching!

Rachel lives with her husband, David, and their two cats, Cooper and Watson, who feature in her “A Grim” series. She loves to travel and intends on seeing as much of the world as possible in her lifetime. Much of her writing is actually done when she is on one of her trips (at home or abroad). She can often be found at the side of a lake, or sat on a rock in the middle of nowhere, adding to her latest work of fiction.

Family is very important to Rachel. She firmly believes that without them she wouldn’t be where she is now.

For all the latest news:

Instagram

Amazon Author page

You can preorder A Grim Affair from Amazon:

UK: eBook | Paperback

USA: eBook | Paperback

and Book Two: A Grim Haunt:

UK: eBook | Paperback

USA: eBook | Paperback

As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.

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Author Interview – Ceara Nobles

Author of Sparks and Shadows.

Today, I am chatting with YA Fantasy author, Ceara Nobles, about her novel Sparks and Shadows which releases today!!! Congratulations Ceara! Sparks and Shadows is the first book in the Rising Elements series.

Helen: Welcome Ceara! To start us off, tell us about your new novel.

Ceara: Sparks and Shadow is the first book in the Rising Elements series, a modern, action-packed YA portal fantasy featuring Fae mythology, magic, and slow-burn romance.

Seattle is full of monsters, and I’m the only one who can see them.

I’ve spent the last 17 years (AKA my whole life) pretending I can’t see the monsters who disguise themselves as humans. I may not have a place to live and my best friend may be moments away from getting in too deep with the city’s most dangerous drug lord, but I’m rolling with the status quo.

That is, until I save my arch enemy’s stupid life and find myself in a warehouse full of monsters.

Next thing I know, I’m in Monster Land (AKA not Seattle) and up to my ears in monsters, magic, and inevitable mayhem. If I want to get home, I have to join a band of revolutionaries and stay alive long enough to get back through the portal before war breaks out.

This’ll be a cinch.

Helen: Congratulations on the release of your novel! Such a special feeling! This is such a lovely cover! Can you tell us how you came up with the design?

Ceara: This cover was so fun to make! You’ll see Everly, my main character, on the cover. Elements are a huge part of the series, and Everly’s magical element is fire, so we chose warm colors to go along with that. Most of the story is set in the mystical land of Thios, a city built into a massive forest in Faery, so we had to incorporate trees onto the cover. I wanted the cover to match current cover trends but also be meaningful to my story.

Helen: Is there a story behind the title?

Ceara: Funny story about the title. Originally, I had chosen the title SPARK OF FATE. I loved the title, researched the heck out of it to make sure there were no other books using it, and commissioned the cover from my designer. I even announced it and did a cover reveal on my Instagram page. Then I realized another author had published a book IN MY GENRE with the exact same title a few weeks before I announced mine. I was heartbroken! But I knew it would cause too much confusion to have two books with the same title in the same genre, so I brainstormed some other options and came up with SPARKS AND SHADOW. I have fallen in love with it, and I think it fits the series much better than my first one!

Helen: Oh, what a shame and how frustrating after all that work! I am so glad you found another title you love just as much and I think it works just as well if not better! What made you write this book?

Ceara: This book was born from my love of Ireland. We went on a family vacation there a few years ago, and I fell in love with the moss-covered forests and fae mythology. I also have a deep love for the Pacific Northwest, specifically the Seattle area. I combined the two, and SPARKS AND SHADOW was born!

Helen: Sounds like the best inspiration! Is YA fantasy your favourite genre to write?

Ceara: I write YA fantasy, and I love it! SPARKS AND SHADOW is a portal fantasy, and I love the idea of marrying the real world and a fantasy world. It makes my job really fun, and I get to combine the best of both worlds. I love imagining the possibilities of a fantastical world, creating new magic systems and societies and species.

Helen: I agree, part of the joy of writing fantasy is the creative freedom to make up whatever you want. How does writing fit into your everyday life?

Ceara: I have a 2-year-old, so writing whenever I want just isn’t going to happen. She’s in preschool 2 days a week (soon to be 3, and I can’t wait!), so I head to a local coffee shop on those days and work there for the day. Something about the change in location really gets me into the headspace to work! A good iced chai always helps too. 😉 My husband also takes her two evenings a week and gives me three solid hours to work. Overall, I’m able to work about 20 hours a week.

Helen: How wonderful, supportive hubby’s are the best! Do you have time to fit in any hobbies?

Ceara: I love traveling! Between my hubby and I, we have family in three states, and we spend a lot of time traveling between them. I also love visiting new places, so we usually take at least a few trips per year. Besides that, I love long hot baths with a good book and thrifting!

Helen: You are very busy! Is there anything anecdotal you would like to share with your readers?

Ceara: I have to shout out to my husband! We have dubbed him my “creative director,” and he’s actually the inspiration behind my publishing company’s name: Riverside Press. When the idea for Sparks and Shadow first came to fruition, it was on a solo camping trip with my hubby and I. We spent an entire afternoon sitting in folding chairs by the river, plotting and brainstorming the first version of my story. He’s always there to support me, whether by brainstorming ideas with me or taking our toddler for the day so I can catch up on my deadlines. I wouldn’t be able to do this without him!

Helen: That sounds perfect! Thank you so much for chatting with me today. As we reach the end of our time together is there any advice you would share with new writers?

Ceara: It sounds cliche, but my best advice is this: you CAN do hard things. Writing stories and sharing them with the world is terrifying and difficult, but it is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. As for the publishing process? It’s not as hard as it sounds. Just learn as much as you can and keep failing until you figure it out!

About the Author:

Ceara Nobles

Ceara Nobles is a Utah-based author of romantic suspense and fantasy novels. She graduated from the University of Utah in 2016 with a B.A. in Computer Animation, then realized she hated it. So she decided to pursue her true love of writing instead. She spends her days writing sales copy as a copywriter… and her evenings writing exciting stories as an author. And she loves both! When she’s not busy writing, you can find her snuggling her new baby girl, road tripping with her hubby, or shooing her cats off her laptop.

For all the latest news:
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You can preorder Sparks and Shadows from Amazon:

UK: eBook | Paperback

USA: eBook | Paperback

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Author Interview – CK Sorens

Author of Afflicted.

Today, I am chatting with YA Fantasy author, CK Sorens, about her latest novel Afflicted; the second installment of the Trimarked series which releases on March 1st, 2022 and is currently available on preorder- keep reading to check out the preorder thank you gift Carrie has lined up for you!

Helen: Welcome Carrie! To start us off, tell us about your latest book.

Carrie: Afflicted is the second book in the Trimarked Series and follows Ember, whose powers have grown in the five weeks since the end of the first book, Trimarked. Nicu, her Fae guardian, has kept her secret from the Fae to protect her from imprisonment, but his loyalties are torn. So far, her unintentional bursts of power have been minor, and ignored. But as a powerful Witch upsets the fragile allyship between human, Fae, and Witch, Ember considers consciously using her chaotic abilities. If she chooses to access her powers, will Nicu keep his promise, or will he side with his kind? When the choice is to protect her friends or save herself, Ember may discover the answer.

Helen: That sounds amazing! You have such a vibrant cover. What was the inspiration behind the cover design?

Carrie: My cover was designed by the talented Natalie, the driving force behind Original Book Cover Designs. It shows Ember on Witch lands. One of the taglines for this book is “Fighting is her best feature,” and we wanted to show she’s ready for the fight to come with the clenched fists and red sweater. The red is also to show that this girl is ready to be bold, to fight for what’s important to her, once she figures out what that is.

Helen: This is the second book in your Trimarked series, how did you come up with the name of the book?

Carrie: Afflicted’s title came, in part, from one of my antagonists. The Queen can spread her over-large soul across the bodies of other people, effectively turning them into mind-controlled drones. When they’re under her control, they’re afflicted.

Afflicted has a second meaning, though, from astrology. When planets are afflicted, they’re in opposition to each other, two bodies on opposite sides. In this novel, so many chess pieces move around. Everyone seems in opposition with the other until they’re not. They are constantly shifting.

Helen: Oh, I love the dual meaning behind the title. That is so interesting and makes your series even more intriguing. Do you typically write fantasy?

Carrie: I write YA fantasy because fantasy is what got me through middle and high school. I enjoy reading and writing stories where young people are coming into their own. All their lives they’ve been told what to do for their own good, and now it’s time for them to figure out which parts of that they want to take with them, which they want to experiment with, and what they want to throw away. In fiction, YA characters are thrown into incredible situations without any experience to back them up in their decision making process. It’s not so different from real life. Sometimes, that pile of college applications is just as scary as facing down dragons. YA fantasy is not only a great escape, but also validation that hard things can be done through perseverance, faith, and a little bit of help, whether it’s from authority figured or magic.

Helen: Tell us about your protagonist and why you wrote her/him?

Carrie: In Afflicted, the main character is Ember Lee. She wasn’t just born in the wrong neighborhood (Fae), she also has a Witch for a dad and a human for a mother. A human with magical capabilities is unheard of, as they don’t have the ability to sense or use magic. The mages see Ember as a ticking time bomb. The humans see her as a reminder that magic has invaded their space, which had been ‘normal’ before they were forced to coexist.

I wrote Ember because she’s struggling in many of the same ways I struggled. I had more friends and a greater support system growing up, but many of my choices were ones I made because of those very systems. When the consequences of those choices weren’t what I wanted, I got out. That burned a lot of bridges for me and caused a lot of tension within that support system. So, at the time I began writing this story a decade or so ago, I truly felt on my own. Her experiences came from a dark part of my life, and I’m finding through conversations and reviews that it’s one many people can relate to, bringing me community once again. It’s a full circle, and I have the experience of creating and sharing Ember to thank for that.

Helen: I think that makes Ember even more engaging as she faces circumstances which drive difficult choices. If I asked Ember why we should read your book. What would she say?

Carrie: Oh, I love this question. Honestly, Ember would say:

“Don’t. Like I need one more person in my life watching me.”

Because of her status, she has a regular, though not constant, Fae guard, Nicu. The Witches give her more space as long as she keeps her weekly meeting with Devi to be checked up on. The humans, at least, steer clear of her for the most part, but they’re also the ones more likely to bully her. There’s another group of mixed-race kids and runaways called the Halfers. She should fit in with them because of her mixed parentage, but they think she brings in too much attention, and they hate the fact that her mother didn’t abandon her like their parents abandoned them. They put up with her because their leader trades with her, but that’s the extent of their patience.

But we as readers don’t have to listen to her, do we? 😉

Helen: LOL! Love it. Like me, you are a Realm of Darkness participating author. What made you write a novel for an paranormal fantasy anthology?

Carrie: The next book I have coming out is going to be in the anthology, Realm of Darkness, a collection of 40 paranormal and fantasy romance novels at all different steam levels. Even though this would take me out of my current series, which is not a romance, I joined for the opportunity to learn and to get to know more indies. Being in the set has fulfilled both of my hopes, and I’m really excited to take these lessons forward, and to be able to grow my indie tribe with these talented authors.

Helen: I am so excited to be part of this anthology, it has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is only in October. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c/99p! You can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!

Thank you so much for chatting with me today. It’s been such fun getting to know you more, Carrie. As we reach the end of our time together is there anything you would like to add?

Carrie: Afflicted is up for pre-order now, and will be live on March 1st, 2022! If you pre-order, I have a couple gifts lined up for you. If you pre-order an ebook, I’ll send you a character art bookmark collection and a Trimarked temporary tattoo and sticker. If you pre-order a paperback, you’ll receive the same gift, PLUS a ebook copy of Afflicted so you can get started right away. The details are outlined on my here.

About the Author:

C.K. Sorens started reading and writing young, carrying the love of the written word with her through college and beyond. Trying out a few professions, she always came back to her love of writing.

C.K. lives with her husband, their three sons, and their dog, Pippin. She enjoys warm days at the beach, day hikes, and sitting on the patio with a small fire.

For all the latest news:

Website
Linktree to social media sites
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You can preorder Afflicted from Amazon:

UK: eBook | Paperback

USA: eBook | Paperback

As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.

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