Showing posts with label Author Interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Author Interview. Show all posts

10.31.2023

Author Interview with Gillian Bronte Adams

 Today I have the pleasure of sharing an interview I recently did with Gillian Bronte Adams. She is currently in the midst of releasing her newest series The Fireborn Epic. And if you haven't yet picked up the first book Of Fire and Ash, you have a treat in store. And if you hate waiting for the next book Of Sea and Smoke releases next month!

Thank you, Gillian, for taking time from your busy schedule to answer some questions.  If they are like me, I'm sure my followers will enjoy getting to know you and your writing better.

 1) How long have you been working on this series? I don't   just mean the actual writing, but how long has it been a   part of you, growing in your mind?

  Over ten years now, which feels completely wild to me.        This story came together in two distinct pieces, which is      unusual for me. Back then, I started exploring the idea of    writing the story of an aspiring warrior queen, a female      character who desired to follow in her father’s footsteps      and one day lead her people, when her nation is            suddenly plunged into war, her father is killed in    battle, and she now has to step up and do just   that.

  I was interested in her story, but all of my attempts to          build the world fell flat. There was nothing unique or          fascinating about it, and eventually, I set her story aside      until I could dream up something better. Later that        summer, I was serving as the Head Wrangler at a youth camp, which meant that I was spending every day either in the saddle or running alongside kids as they learned to ride. One evening, I pulled out a notebook and started sketching out ideas for horses with magical abilities—horses who could breathe fire, ride the stormwinds, vanish into shadow, etc. I originally envisioned a western story set in that world, which sounded fun to me, but then I started fiddling with the idea of medieval-era warriors riding those horses, which sounded even better.

But the more I built out the world, the more frustrated I became, because I couldn’t settle on a story that would be epic enough to do it justice. So here I was with a story without a world and a world without a story, and it was still months before it occurred to me to try combining the two just to see what would happen, and years before I felt ready to tackle telling such an epic tale.


2) If you had to pick another format for your books to be shared, what would it be -musical, movie, public readings, serial release(a chapter at a time), or graphic novel?

I would have to say movie, hands down. I think there’s a part of every author who imagines seeing their story on the big screen since that’s how it often exists in our heads, even though the track records of so many book-to-movie adaptations make the idea slightly terrifying. But I think

the scope of The Fireborn Epic, along with the visuals of the different settings and the various magical warhorses, not to mention the intensity of the action sequences, would translate well to the big screen and make for a truly epic movie.


If done by the right director, I agree The Fireborn Epic would make a fantastic movie, on par with LOTR. I personally would love to see all the Solborn in action.

   

3) What one author, past or present, would you like to mentor you? 

Oh, this is a tough question. I can honestly think of so many authors from whom I would love to glean bits of insight on specific elements of storytelling. But if I narrow it down to just one, I think I would have to say J.R.R. Tolkien because he did something so powerful with The Lord of the Rings that has impacted generations of fantasy writers and readers alike. He managed to create a world that you want to live in, which is something that I think we see less of in fantasy today, as stories lean more gritty or dark and worlds become more oppressive. I don’t dislike gritty or dark stories. But even though there is great evil and darkness in Tolkien’s world, his heroes are not just fighting against something; they are fighting for something, for a vision of beauty and of goodness that they have tasted and long to see survive. And it’s something tangible, both for the characters and for us as readers—it’s the Shire, it’s Rivendell, it’s a glimpse of a star high above a smog-choked place—which makes it especially powerful. I would love to have had the chance to talk to Tolkien about that.

I agree that finding hope, even a glimmer of it just beyond the present is what made Toliken's work so powerful. Those pockets of light made the fight worth it.


4) How do develop your setting (a photo, a trip, a random comment)? 

If it’s set in an environment that I have never visited or experienced, I will spend a lot of time searching Google images and videos until I can visualize it in my mind. I’m always looking to pinpoint the specific details that will help ground it in a reader’s senses. The specific sounds associated with a place. The sensations. The scents. The flavor.

At the end of the day, I’m not trying to create something that each reader will be able to visualize with 100% accuracy. I kind of think of it as the difference between realism and abstract art. I’m trying to give splashes of color and flavor and choice details to convey a certain atmosphere and vibe that allows readers to fill in the rest in their minds.


5) If you could share a cup of tea (or coffee) with anyone, who would it be? 

I would love to share a cup of coffee with a reader who has connected deeply with my books. Someone who found a home away from home in my stories with characters who made him/her feel seen. So much of writing is done in isolation. For so long, as a writer, it’s just you and the story and the characters. Then gradually, the circle grows, and beta readers and editors come in to join you. Then it heads out into the world, and readers get to experience the story. But so much of that happens at a distance, and often by that time, you’re already deep into working on the next thing, so any opportunity that arises to see how your story has touched someone else is honestly such a gift!


6) What's one book would you recommend that everyone read? It can be one of yours or someone else's book.  

Fictional book? 

Oh, that’s hard to answer, because people are all so unique and so I think the stories that speak deeply to each person are equally unique. I do think that there is just so much goodness and beauty in The Lord of the Rings that I’d recommend reading the series at least once in a lifetime, if not more. The films are beautiful and wonderful adaptations, and I will forever love them, but there’s so much to the books and to the characters that the films simply can’t capture in a limited run time—even one as long as all three extended films put together.

If we’re talking about one of my books, I’d recommend starting with Of Fire and Ash, just because it’s my current favorite series!


7) Who is your favorite character in your book? And where did you get your names (Ceridwen, Rafi, Finnian, Jakim, Mindar, etc.)


I honestly can’t pick a favorite. Each one of them is very near and dear to my heart in different 
ways. I love how Ceridwen makes certain female readers feel seen, including myself. I love Rafi’s sense of humor and the way that he learns to value his own unique strengths. I feel Jakim’s trials and his compassionate heart. Finnian, dear Finnian, don’t we all love him? 

But one of my favorite side characters is Markham. He’s gruff and grumpy and his sarcasm and (sometimes harsh) way of speaking the truth is always a surprising element in scenes. Anytime he joins a conversation, things take an interesting turn. He manages to bring things to light about the other characters that I haven’t anticipated, and he does and says thing that often surprise me as the author, which is just so much fun!

Interestingly enough, all of the main characters originally had different names and were once wildly different people (Ceridwen was Gwen, Rafi was Ronin, etc.) But as I discovered each of them and who they actually needed to be, and the cultures and societies that had shaped them, their true names came along with it.

That is interesting. I have to say the names they now have so suit them. I can't imagine them with another name.  


8) Where did the unique characteristics of the different Solborn come from? Did you take
them from the character traits and personalities of horses you've personally known? I've
known a couple who could almost breathe fire and easily be a Fireborn.

Over the years, I’ve gotten to interact with a wide variety of horses (with a wide variety of
personalities), and for several years, I managed a herd of over twenty horses for a summer camp. So for the different breeds of solborn, I drew characteristics from some of our real-world horse breeds (fireborn share some traits with Arabians, earthhewn share some with Percherons, etc.), and I had lots of fodder from my own personal experience for the individual horses.  

Ceridwen’s fireborn, Mindar, is based on my own horse. He has that fiery personality. He’s quick 
on the turn, a natural sprinter, always prancing and dancing and excited to go. He is a one-person horse who turns into a grumpy old man in the rain, which is honestly just so apropos for a fireborn. Ghost, Rafi’s seablood, is basically the horse version of my dog, Took. So he has my dog’s personality but horse mannerisms. Markham’s shadower, who you’ll get to meet in Of Sea and Smoke, in one of my personal favorite scenes, definitely takes some personality traits from horses I have had the … pleasure … of working with.

I love how wildly unique each horse that I’ve worked with has been, and I think that’s part of why they can bond with specific riders so well!

9) What one question do you wish you would be asked, and how would you answer it?

Sometimes readers ask where is the best place to buy my books to support me as an author, which is just so sweet of them. I’m honestly so happy wherever readers buy my books, whether that’s through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, ordering through their local bookstore, or requesting that their library buy them. (I love my library so much!) But nothing gets me quite so excited as getting to sign and personalize books for readers. In the past, this was generally only possible at events, which tend to be few and far between. But this year, I made the leap and opened up an online shop on my website where I can offer signed books and a variety of merch options (like t-shirts and mugs) to readers all year long! It’s been so fun to see orders coming in and to get to package up books to ship out to readers.

I know I got one of the Solborn mugs (Stormer) earlier this year and I just loved the graphic. I had planned on gifting it but decided I needed it instead. I can always get another one to gift at Christmas.

9.12.2023

Spotlight ~ The Time Patriot - Hail Mary Pass with Author Q & A and Excerpt

Today, I'm spotlighting Episode 1 from The Time Patriot. Hail Mary Pass 


About the Book
:

A Hail Mary Pass - that's what the President of the United States called it.
What are the chances Marc McKnight's time travel team can convince George Washington to
leave his home and travel with them to the year 2037?

Another bloody civil war is imminent in the United States. Political parties are hopelessly divided
and fanning the embers of war. Can the war be prevented if George Washington tells modern
America what the Founding Fathers were trying to achieve?

A Hail Mary Pass. 

A long shot. 

But it's worth a try.

About the Author:

Kim Megahee is a writer, a musician, and a retired IT consultant. His background includes playing in rock bands, teaching high school, and having experience in computer programming,
security, and consulting.

He lives in Gainesville, Georgia, with his soulmate wife Martha and Leo, an incredibly smart and stubborn red-headed toy poodle. In addition to writing, he enjoys reading, playing live music,
and socializing with friends.

Website: https://www.authorkimmegahee.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.kmega

Amazon: http://amzn.to/3OdX8xE

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65138146-the-time-patriot



Excerpt from Chapter Five of
The Time Patriot: Episode 1 – Hail Mary Pass

Before Washington could speak, McKnight and Tyler stepped out of the trees with their sidearms in their hands.

The robbers turned to them as McKnight spoke.

“Release him or you’ll answer to us. This gentleman is our companion and under our protection.”

The robbers spread out and raised their rifles.

“Just the two of you, then?” the leader said. “Not very good odds.”

McKnight whistled, and the rest of the team stepped out of the bushes, weapons trained on the robbers. “I won’t ask again. Lay down your weapons if you want to live.”


The bandits laid down their weapons, but the one named Sam drew a knife, leaped toward Washington, and held the blade to his throat. 


“I think you are the ones who should lie down your weapons. Else, I’ll slice your benefactor’s throat. Your choice.”

McKnight didn’t blink. 

“Hatcher?” he said.

“No shot, sir, I’ll hit the General.”

“Cutty?” 

“I have him, sir. Say the word and I’ll blow his head off.”

“Wait, now wait!” David cried out and stepped forward with his hands out. 

“Hold, Sam!” he said, and pointed at Washington. “Did you call him General? Who is he?” 

Tyler spoke. “That’s General Washington. Did you fight with him during the war?”

Sam stepped away from Washington and dropped his knife.  

“I did,” he said. “I’m sorry, sir.”

The other robbers hung their heads. 

“We all did, sir,” David said, dropping Washington’s sword. “We wouldn’t have attacked if we’d known it was you, sir. We’d sooner starve than hurt you.” 

Several of the others nodded.

Hatcher bounded over and cut the ropes that bound Washington and Lee to the tree, then went to secure the horses.


The general shrugged off the rope fragments, rubbed his wrists and, after a long look at Hatcher, he approached McKnight and Tyler. 


“Sirs, I beg you, please release these men. Their primary crime is being hungry, a common plight in this part of the country. Three of them have already paid with their lives.”

Before they could reply, Washington did a double-take and stared at Tyler’s face.

“Colonel Tyler, isn’t it?” he said. “You look different.” 

Tyler glanced at McKnight and winked with a smile. 

McKnight could almost read his friend’s mind and sense his humor. “I’m a colonel, too.”

“Yes, General Washington. It’s me. May I present—”

“I know,” Washington said. “Colonel McKnight, I presume?”

McKnight was stunned. “How…?”

Washington looked him up and down. 

“You’re not what I expected, sir. I look forward to talking with you, but we have an immediate situation to resolve. What should we do with these men?”


David spoke up. “General Washington, you have our humblest apologies. We’ll accept any punishment you demand. We deserve it.”

Washington looked at McKnight, who gave a slight nod.

“When we were at war,” Washington said, “I had men flogged for stealing.” 

He sighed. 

“The war is over, and I’m a businessman now. I’m not inclined to punish these men. What about you, Colonel McKnight?”

“I’ll leave it to you, General. It’s to your discretion.”

Washington nodded and turned back to the robbers. He walked to David and picked up his sword. He looked him in the eye, then stepped back to address all the bandits.


“I am releasing you to go back to your homes. If I learn you are waylaying people on this trail again, I shall raise a force and come looking for you. I won’t be merciful the second time.”

He approached the leader David again. The man stared at the ground.

Washington spoke in a low voice. 

“Look at me, sir.” 

David raised his face to Washington. Tears flowed down his cheeks.

“These men respect you, David,” Washington said. “You have influence over them. I’m counting on you to keep them on a Christian path. Don’t let them stray.” 

“I will, sir,” he said. “I swear before God I will.”

“Good. Pick up your weapons and go home. Find a better way to survive if you can. If not, come see me at Mount Vernon. Together, we will find a solution.”

David’s men picked up their long guns and walked back uphill to the trail. 

Washington turned his back to them and walked back to McKnight and Tyler. 

McKnight glanced at Wheeler, who nodded and slipped into the brush after the robbers. 

Washington looked at Tyler again. He touched Tyler’s hat and said, “May I?”

“Yes, sir,” Tyler said, and Washington reached forward and lifted his hat from his head. 

“I’ve known you for twenty years now, Colonel, and the last time I saw you, your hairline was receding. Now your hair is full again and the wrinkles on your face are gone. How is this possible?”

“It’s part of a plan, sir,” Tyler said. “It’s what brought us here to this time and place.”

“A plan?” Washington said. “Clearly, there’s more here than I perceive.”

He turned to McKnight.

“So, tell me, Colonel McKnight, what army are you in? What brings you and your men…” He stopped and scanned the faces before him, his eyes resting on Hatcher and Lagunas. “… Your men and women… to these woods?”

“We represent the Army of the United States, sir, and we came here looking for you.”

Washington nodded. “It appears you have found me, Colonel. What can I do for you?”

McKnight laughed. “That we have, sir. We need your help, and if you’ll allow me a few minutes of your time, I’ll explain.” 

Washington looked around and spread out his arms.

“I am at your disposal, Colonel. How can I help?”


Author Q/A

Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest?

The hardest was George Washington—How do you do justice to an American Icon, but show
him as a man with faults like everyone else? The easiest was Marc McKnight, because he’s
partly me and this is my fifth book with him in the lead role.

Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

Mostly from things around me. For example, we recently vacationed in San Antonio and visited
the Alamo. I got an idea for a story about Davy Crockett.

There are many books out there about time travel.... What makes yours different?

Most time travel stories have no limits on the capability of time travel. In my stories, you can
only visit times that are a multiple of 25 years (give or take a week) from the current date. To
me, this adds a bit of urgency to the stories—you have limited time to make things happen. I
think having unlimited possibilities is less interesting.

What advice would you give budding writers?

Write a little every day and read books (or podcasts or videos) about the writing craft.


How long have you been writing?

I started writing around the year 2006, but I wasn’t serious about it. I’d write a few pages every
month or so. There was no urgency and no strong commitment to getting it done. Somewhere
around 2012, I decided to stop fooling around and get it done.


What genre do you write and why?

Science Fiction Time Travel. I’ve always been interested in “what if” stories, alternative history,
or stories that change history.

How are you similar to or different from your lead character?

Marc McKnight is my lead character. We are a lot alike in that we both want to do right things
and we both suffer from self-doubt and spending too much time in hindsight. Other than that,
we’re pretty different.


7.06.2023

Exclusive Q and A with Rachel Hauck

Today, I'm pleased to share with you my recent interview with author Rachel Hauck.


1)
If you had to pick another format for your books to be shared, what would it be -
musical, movie, public readings, serial release(a chapter at a time like Vella), or
graphic novel? 

RH: So glad you asked! I’ve always thought my Nashville book, “Nashville Dreams,”
should be a Broadway Musical. 

2) Who (or) what is your favorite comfort-read author or genre? 

RH: Believe it or not, I don’t have a fav author or genre. I just love a good, well-
told story. I’ll read romance, chick lit, contemporary, or general fiction, historical,
you name it, well, except fantasy or sci-fi, maybe, but you could convince me, if
the story is appealing.

3) What one author, past or present, would you like to mentor you? 

RH: I’d love to sit at the table with the Inklings, which included C.S. Lewis and Tolkien.
Or perhaps Stratford-on-Odeon which included Hemmingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. I
think writers mentor writers when they talk the craft and business together. The world of
publishing has changed from the Inklings’ days, but the concept of fellowshipping
together is timeless.

4) How do you develop your setting (a photo, a trip, a random comment)? 

RH: Setting is such a key part of every story that I try to use real-life places to set a
story or to base a fictional town. I usually have an idea in my head of what I want a
fictional town to look like then I google similar towns to make sure I have all I need to
make my town seem real.

5) What one book would you recommend that everyone read? 

RH: Of course, everyone should read The Best Summer of Our Lives, but I’d also
recommend Growing In Prayer by Mike Bickle. Prayer is so important, yet it’s a difficult
discipline despite all good intentions. Growing In Prayer sets vision, and gives reasons and
motivations based on Scripture to help Believers grow in prayer. It’s been a game-changer for me.

6) Do you have a favorite author that you would recommend? 

RH: I don’t have favorite authors so much, but I do love a good story. However,
some talented authors I’d recommend are Susan May Warren, Beth Vogt, Melissa
Tagg, Tari Faris and Lisa Jordan. Courtney Walsh is a talented storyteller as well.

7) If you could share a cup of tea (or coffee) with anyone, who would it be? 

RH: I’d love to have tea with the Queen. I know she’s gone now, but if I could, I’d attend
tea with Queen Elizabeth II. Or Princess Katherine. She seems very real.

8) Who is your favorite character (or two) in The Best Summer of Our Lives? 

RH: Ah, that’s like choosing a favorite kid. Since it’s an ensemble cast – four main
characters—I love all of them, but Summer was a favorite. In the end, I wanted to be
her! I also loved Snow. My publisher created a fun survey for readers to see which
Season they were most like and when I took the test, I was the most like Snow. That
really surprised me. Autumn was the big sister of the crew and I’m the “big sister” in my
family, so I related to her. Spring was the beauty queen from a well-off, well-positioned
southern family. While that was so not me, I understood her moral dilemma. I never
faced what she faced, but I could relate to her turmoil.

9) Do you have a favorite book that you have written? If so, why that book?

RH: They’re all favorites in one manner or another, but I’ve always been partial to Softly
and Tenderly
with Sara Evans. I’m also a fan of The Best Summer of Our Lives!

10) What do you most like about this genre that you are writing in?  

RH: I’ve kind of morphed through genres, starting with chick lit to romance to split time
to contemporary. I sometimes wish we didn’t have genres but just “good stories.”
(Smile.) I love writing about complex characters who go on a life-changing adventure.
 
11) What one question do you wish you would be asked and how would you answer
it?

RH: When were you born again? I’d answer: November 1967 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. My
father was a youth pastor at a Methodist church and during a Sunday school lesson,
when the teacher told us about Jesus, I knew He was real and true. I don’t remember
her name or face, or what she said that stirred a six-year-old’s conviction, but I went
home and told my mom, “I need Jesus in my heart.” We went to church that night and
when the altar call came – it always did back in those days – I looked up at her like,
“Let’s go.” I knelt at the altar and begged Jesus to forgive me and come into my heart.
And He did! Life changing. I don’t know who, what, or where I’d be today without Him.

5.25.2023

Clarissa ~ Review and Author Interview