I get inspiration from so many things; I love books with magic, I love transformative characters, so those interests are what drove the storyline.
M.R. Pilot – 30 March 2018
The Back Flap
Eighteen-year-old Cori has been tucked into a corner of Verbena her entire life. With no memory of a father and an abusive mother, her escape came in the form of living and working in her town’s inn, a place that happens to be owned by her best friend. Cori was all but resigned to the uneventful and dutiful life as a barkeep. That is, until a hooded stranger showed up—just in time to witness an incident Cori herself cannot believe—and changed everything. Now Cori must leave Sagebrush, the only place she has ever known, setting off to discover love, adventure, heartbreak, and more about herself and the world she lives in than she could have ever imagined.
About the book
What is the book about?
This book is about a girl who has had a somewhat unfortunate childhood; she lives in an impoverished feeder town, her mother has addict tendencies and episodes, and she doesn’t know anything about her father except his name. She found a quieter existence when her best friend hired her and allowed her to live in his inn. But things change when she discovers she has a physical—and destructive—power. It scares her and propels her to leave, but she’s joined by a mysterious stranger who also has a strange ability. She’s swept up into this world, learning about the people with powers, known as Avadi, and she searches for her father on this journey. She gets small answers and clues along the way, and some of those answers shake her to her core.
When did you start writing the book?
The very beginning of 2017.
How long did it take you to write it?
A little over 6 months once I had the concept fully formed and I had committed to it.
Where did you get the idea from?
I get inspiration from so many things; I love books with magic, I love transformative characters, so those interests are what drove the storyline. It took a lot of thinking and middle-of-the-night revelations.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
The wretched middle! I knew what I wanted ultimately, but there are so many potential scenes to get to that point. I tried to stick with what felt like the most natural sequence of events.
What came easily?
The characters and plot—basically the skeleton of the story. I knew my key players and the roles I wanted them to play. From the moment of conception, the characters were dynamic people in my mind with their own set of personality traits and motivations. Referencing the previous question, it’s the fleshy parts/filling in the space between bones that took the most effort.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
I’d say it’s about half and half. Certain characteristics in people I’ve encountered have stuck with me. I took some of those traits and wove them into characters, but I couldn’t say any character is 100% a story version of someone I know. Other characters feel brand new; I may have been inspired by someone I’ve met, but the meeting is buried so deep in my subconscious that I’ve convinced myself I made them from scratch.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
At the time I started writing this, I felt like I had limited spare time and wasn’t reading much. If I start a book, I will not sleep until I finish it which makes for treacherous work days. But I have always been a huge fan of Patrick Rothfuss and Christopher Paolini, reading their books multiple times. High fantasy has always captured me. I also have re-read several Nora Roberts novels. I’d say I drew from the high fantasy worlds and picked up some romance-tension stuff from these books.
Do you have a target reader?
Any reader at all is a blessing! But to describe who I think would most relate to the story, it’d probably be a young adult girl who has dealt with some familial strife and/or felt like they put their trust in someone or something and had the decision come back to bite them without notice. Or really, anyone who likes reading about people with powers!
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Coffee. Computer. Self-discipline. *tells myself to stop blasting Spotify and interpretive dancing whenever I hit a snag*
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
This is something I might start doing but thus far have not. I put notes in my iPhone to keep myself on track with major plot points and random dialogue bits that ping in my mind throughout the day. An outline might make the process more docile, though. I’ll try it with the next one!
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I do edit as I go along. I like to re-read, especially if I’m pretty exhausted and need to get my mind in the right place, and I change word choices or sentence structure almost every time.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I did end up hiring a professional editor. When I do my re-reading (as mentioned above), the story becomes like a song where you know the lyrics by heart. You don’t have to think about every single word you’re singing, cause that’s just how the song goes. My editor, Stephanie, sent me a sample edit and the edits were so spot on; apart from grammar stuff, she picked up on things where I was like, “Duh!” but I had just stopped seeing the words at a certain point.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I do not—I need silence. How else can I hear what my characters are saying? I want to say just kidding, but I’m actually not kidding.
But I do listen to music between takes. I call them brain breaks. That’s where the interpretive dancing happens. I shift between pop, folk, classic rock and heavy metal.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I queried three agents after my first draft. I was so stoked to have reached a conclusion. I didn’t hear back.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
Initially, I was just writing for me. No interest in sharing the story with any eyes but my own. I longed for some type of intellectual stimulation that I could stop and start at will—super naïve to the ways of writing.
But once it became this world with characters that felt real, I was like, oh, maybe someone else will like it, I’ll indie publish. Then I dove into “writer” twitter and saw that authors query agents. I was intrigued, thought it didn’t hurt to try. But it stressed me out for sure. I dove even deeper into twitter and saw how much time and effort some authors put into getting an agent—not that their efforts are for nothing or do not reap rewards, but I knew it wasn’t for me, at least not right now. I have fun writing and that fun was tainted for a short period of time. I have read and loved many indie books and I love the creative freedom that accompanies this path.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
The concept was mine, but the execution was definitely not! I love illustrated art and so I found a graphic artist and a typographer.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Totally winging it. I’m a learn-as-you-go kind of person, which may explain why it takes me so long time to build self-assembled furniture.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
WRITE FOR YOU! There is such joy and creativity in writing—don’t dim it by trying to mold your ideas into what someone else said is supposed to be inside a book.
About You
Where did you grow up?
A few places, but Michigan is home.
Where do you live now?
Good ol’ beautiful & cold Alaska.
What would you like readers to know about you?
If you’re a reader of mine, I appreciate and love you. But I love all readers, not just mine, because as a reader I can relate. I suppose I should also mention to any considering a gander to my twitter page, please be prepared for an overload of dog-related tweets. It’s a furry life I live.
What are you working on now?
I am close to wrapping up an urban fantasy titled The Curse of Luma, and I have also begun working on the second installment of The Avadi Series. My mind is full, and my phalanges are busy! I can’t wait to share.
End of Interview:
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