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Murklin Wood is on 99-cent sale this week along with several other authors’ books feature clear dragon reads.

https://emilymarthasorensen.com/cleanfantasydragonreads.html

 

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Today’s interview is with Theresa Snyder. Welcome to the blog.  Tell us something about yourself.

I live in the Pacific Northwest with my elder father, cat and an occasional dragon house guest. I run the printshop at the local community college, which just happens to be about five blocks from my doorstep. I consider all my student staff at work ‘my kids’ and they help me with everything techie that an indie author needs to know. They are constantly pushing and opening doors for me on social media. The latest is Snap Chat. They keep me young.

 

At what point did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I have been writing since I was a youngster. My mother gave me a journal and encouraged me to write. However, I don’t think I really considered myself an author until I wrote my first book in 1990 and then didn’t talk about being an author until I was published in 2013. I know, twenty-three years, but sometimes things that are worth doing take some time and are worth waiting for.

 

Tell us about your writing process. Do you have a special place you write?

I am a morning writer. I wake up with ideas and want to get them down on paper. I spend a lot of time writing in my head before I start in on the keyboard, so there is no outline and the characters might take me a totally different direction then what I have planned. If I stumble, and don’t know where to go, I take a nap. My brain keeps working and I wake with the answer. I like writing while listening to instrumental music, piano, cello, classical guitar. I can’t write with the radio on, I want to stop and sing along. I have a writing room that is all decked out in a Moroccan motif. I love it there – rich colors and stimulating atmosphere.

 

What is your favorite genre … to read … to write?

I don’t have a favorite genre to read. I read everything. I am voracious. As for writing, I love the genre I am with at the moment. Right now, I am really into wrapping up my paranormal/fantasy series and therefore I live, eat and breathe everything from shape shifters to dragons and hippogriffs to fire demons.

Where do you get the inspiration for your novels?

I am a sponge. I get the inspiration and ideas for my novels from friends and family events and conversations, news articles or broadcasts, people watching and hypothesizing about their lives and relationships, documentaries and other programs on television. My most recent scifi book, The Beast Within came from two ideas. I saw a newscast on the homeless children in Brazil and I was watching one of those challenge programs on tattooing. To find out how that all connects, you will have to read the book. No spoilers here.

 

If someone who hasn’t read any of your novels asked you to describe your writing, what would you say?

I write very character-driven novels. My scifi is low tech like “Firefly.” My fantasy can be enjoyed on multiple levels depending on how deeply you want to think about it. I am not an epic writer. My books move very quickly and the one complaint I get, in spite of my 4 and 5 star reviews, is they are over too fast. In that case, I just tell folks to pick up the next in the series. After all, I have twenty-four books in print.

Wow, 24. That’s amazing. What point of view do you prefer to write, and why?

I have grown to love writing first person. My favorite character currently is Cody/Scar my shape-shifter in the Twin Cities Series. His books are all from his point of view and I love seeing the world through his eyes whether as a human or as a wolf.

 

I’m going to drop you in a remote Alaska cabin for a month. It’s summer so you don’t have worry about freezing to death. I’ll supply the food and the mosquito spray. What do you do while you’re there and what do you bring with you? If you’re bringing books, what are they?

I would write. I often escape to a small town in the woods to spend a week writing in a log cabin with the river running past the door. If there is electricity at your cabin then I would bring my laptop and my favorite throw for keeping my feet warm. If no electricity is available then my suitcase would be filled with paper and pens. The only thing other than that would be something to play music on. If I have my laptop, it is loaded, or my phone, or my tablet or my MP3 player – I have music everywhere. If no electricity is available, perhaps you could hire Adam Hurst or Gary Jess to play for me while I write.

 

You might have to settle for the babble of the creek. You would prefer that over the chug-chug-chug of the generator. Talk about your books individually, or … since you have 24, how about just an overview of each series.

The 1^st book of each series is permanently free on all platforms in e-book.

“The Farloft Chronicles” – A dragon series for all ages. A series for anyone who has ever loved or loves a dragon. They will find Farloft irresistible. For those who enjoyed “How to Train Your Dragon” no matter what their age.

“The Star Traveler Series” – Action, adventure, romance and intrigue; it all began with a friendship between Jake, a battle-worn, middle-aged human mercenary and a young alien named Arr. From that friendship sprang the foundation of a series that will envelope you in its character-driven stories and fast-paced, paging-turning momentum.

 

“The Twin Cities Series” – The Realms refers to a parallel dimension hidden between Minneapolis and St. Paul where creatures, humans think of as only mythical, roam free. Cody is a shape shifter with some monumental problems that all started when he died. He’s escaped to The Realms from the midlands between Heaven and Hell only to find his best friend is potential food for the resident vampires, his girlfriend only loves him in his wolf form and her mother… well that’s a whole other story. It isn’t easy being Cody, but like a good wolf he’ll do what he can to protect his pack even if it kills him. Wait… he’s already dead.

“In2Minds” – The home world’s sun is going to explode and Commander Tait is the last hope for a one-way mission to terra-form a distant planet. The only catch is the accident that buried him alive. With only his computer to assist him, will her survive?

“We 3” Non-fiction – is a collection of stories – sometimes touching, sometimes hilarious, always authentic – about a baby boomer caring for her aging parents.

 

 

What do you want readers to think or feel after reading one of your books?

I would like them to be so involved with the characters that they can’t wait to download or order the next book to find out what happens. I would like them to be hungry for more adventure whether in the future of the universe, the fantasy land of dragons, or The Realms where all things humans think are fantastical, paranormal or magical actually live.

 

 

What influenced your decision to self-publish?

I planned to just format my books, print and bind a copy for myself. After all, I do run a print shop, but my writing group convinced me to self-publish and I have never looked back.

 

What do you find to be the greatest advantage of self-publishing?

You are in total control. That might be the greatest disadvantage too. It is great to be able to produce at your own rate, chose your own cover design, form your own marketing campaigns, but you must see it as a small business. It is something most of us will work at for years before it shows any return other than the joy of interacting with your readers on social media.

 

Conversely, what do you think self-published authors might be missing out on?

Supposedly, you have the backing of the marketing department of the traditional publisher, but I have talked to authors who did not have much assistance even though they were published traditionally. I think the main thing a traditional publishing would do for me would be to raise my books above the notion that all self-published books are inferior. You fight this all the time, because frankly there are people who call themselves author, but put either poorly written or poorly edited work up for sale. A reader will only buy a limited amount of these ‘inferior’ books before they start going back to the traditional publishers where they either know the author is good or they know the quality of editing is worth their money.

 

Completely agree. With the number of self-published books increasing by such a huge rate, it is really difficult for authors to make their books stand out. How do you go about this?

I start with a quality product – a sound plot, careful editing, attractive covers, and an eye-catching blurb. After that it is a matter of marketing. That, my friends, is like gardening, everyone has an opinion on how to do it. You just have to find your ‘groove.’

 

I like that. Do you believe that self-published authors can produce books as high-quality as the traditional published? If so, how do you think we should go about that?

This is certainly achievable. I started “Affordable Proofreading & Editing Service, LLC” to assist authors in making their work shine. The better the quality, the more chance we all have of being read. As I said in the question above, the readers will only tolerate inferior works for so long before they go back to the names they know. If you got a raw hamburger three times in a row from the local diner, you would be headed back to McDonald’s in not time. I advocate cooking the book thoroughly before serving.

Where do readers find you and your books?

Website: www.TheresaSnyderAuthor.com

Books Available on Amazon / Smashwords / CreateSpace / Google play

• “Scifi reminiscent of Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein”
• “Paranormal like a breath of fresh air in a genre that has become formatted”
• “Fantasy beautifully written with complex characters that children to adults can appreciate”
• “Memoirs that are heartwarming, funny and soothing to the spirit”

Link to Moroccan Room Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qFQL6-Yf-c

Link to Affordable Proofreading & Editing Service, LLC: http://affordableproofedit.blogspot.com/

Link to Media Kit for Bio Picture: http://www.theresasnyderauthor.com/media-kit/

Trailer

 

Amazon makes shopping easy for you by combining Books 1 & 2 of Daermad Cycle into a 2-book set. It would be a great way to enjoy the books in preparation for the 3rd book in the series – Fount of Wraiths. Come on and learn why you really shouldn’t irritate a vengeful Celtic goddess.

The Willow Branch

A healer must mend a fractured kingdom and bring two enemy races together before a greater enemy destroys them both.

Fate took Prince Maryn by surprise, leaving Celdrya to tear itself apart. A century later an army amasses against the warring remains of the kingdom as prophesy sends a half-elven healer on a journey to find the nameless True King. Padraig lacks the power to put the True King on the throne, yet compelled by forces greater than himself, Padraig contends with dark mages, Celtic goddesses, human factions and the ancient animosities of two peoples while seeking a myth. With all that distraction, a man might meet the True King and not recognize him.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071RYL9WZ/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

Mirklin Wood

The Raven rises as the One’s Dragon falls

Padraig’s quest to heal the fractured kingdom of Celdrya seems at an end as Tamys’s life hangs by a thread. Darkness obscures the One’s True King as the kingdom stands poised on the edge of destruction, torn by factions, manipulated by dark magicks, distrustful of natural allies, and unaware that a brutal army swells at her borders.

Mayhap the mantle of healing now passes to the Kin sorceress Ryanna, if she can battle herself free of the traps of court intrigue, the politics of mating and rising plague. Meanwhile, dragons and kings real and false stir and mage power changes hands as a kingdom that does not remember its past may be doomed to repeat it.

#bookpromotion, #series, #kindle, #fantasy, #epicfantasy, #dragons, #celtic, #goddesses

 

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Today’s interview is with Sophe E. Tallis, author of White Mountain, an absolutely delightful fantasy and Book 1 in the Darkling Chronicles. Tell us something about yourself, Sophie. (What do you do for a living, where’d you grow up, significant relationships, as little or as much as you want).

As well as being a writer and illustrator, I’m a librarian too, an absolutely dream job being surrounded by books all day. The only problem is trying to focus when you have such great literature around! I used to be a full-time teacher for many years, a really tough job with very long hours but great working with children, although I don’t miss the paperwork! I grew up in the countryside, in a small village in Gloucestershire, UK, where I spent most of my childhood climbing trees, making dens, playing in the woods and dreaming of dragons and wild adventures.

How old were you when you wrote your first story and what was it?

I was four years when I wrote my first story about a girl (me) finding a baby dragon in the woods at the bottom of our road.

You write fantasy. What is your favorite genre — to read and/or to write.

I love reading fantasy, science-fiction, ‘magic realism’, and literary fiction. Actually, I like most genres though I’m not that interested in romance and ‘chick lit’. I tend to write fantasy primarily, although the first full-length novel I ever wrote, when I was 18, was a science-fiction epic called Beyond Cassini’s Division, a project I will return to one day!

Tell me about the white wolves and the Alaskan Malamutes.

Lol, well I love animals, especially dogs and especially BIG dogs. Five years ago I was in a position where I wanted some doggies and at the time, security was also an issue, so I got two huge white German Shepherds, my glorious white wolves, Korrun and Tollam (Tolly). I love my boys to bits. Then in 2013, our beloved cat of 19 years suddenly died. Tolly was bereft as he loved her so much and he started to pine for her, so badly in fact that he had an epileptic fit. It terrified me. So, we had the bright idea of getting another puppy as a means of distracting him from his grief. It worked, except that when the time came we couldn’t decide on which puppy to get…so we got two instead, two enormous white Alaskan Malamutes, Fenn and Bere! They all love each other and are just beautiful, though they are a handful at times. Lol, so now, I have my own wolf pack!!!!

You’re an illustrator as well as a writer. Talk about that.

Well, I’m a very visual person. I’ve always written and drawn since I was a very young child. In fact, in many ways I could draw and write before I could even walk properly, so the two have always gone hand in hand for me. I used to write short stories as a kid and then illustrate them. When I wrote White Mountain, it was very much like writing a film and seeing the whole movie play out before me, so it seemed the natural thing to illustrate it too, as I could see all those landscapes so clearly in my mind. Then after my book, I found myself doing illustration commissions for other authors. It’s been great fun. I’ve illustrated five books now and have another three commissions I’m currently working on, all fantasy maps, and it’s been great fun delving in these other worlds too.

Tell me about White Mountain and the Darkling Chronicles.

White Mountain really was a labour of love. It took ten years to write and research, lol, so yes, it was definitely a labour of love. Back in 1997, I found myself at a crossroads in my life, in a bad place. I’d just finished my art degree and was somewhat lost and plagued by a lot of emotional stuff. So, in a bid to leave my demons behind, I decided to escape to the furthest place I could think of, New Zealand. What started off as a bid for freedom and escape, turned into a four month odyssey that changed my life forever. It was the adventure of a life-time and it ended up being the inspiration behind White Mountain and the whole Darkling Chronicles universe. The landscapes and locations were truly awe-inspiring and the book just poured out of me. The funny thing was that back in 1997/1998 when I was backpacking around NZ having my adventures, there was no talk about any Lord of the Rings films, they were filmed several years later, but when I watched those films, it was like watching my own personal home movie. Peter Jackson had been inspired by and had used the EXACT same locations that I had been to and used in my story! His Fangorn was my Kallorm, my Fendellin was his Rohan! It was amazing! Although White Mountain itself is located in the Swiss Alps, in reality, it will always be Mount Cook (Aoraki), which I circled and landed just below in this tiny ski plane the size of a car!

You hint that the world of Fendellin is a world within our world. Explain that.

Well, once I had written the first draft of the book, I then started to do the research for it. Although it is a fantasy epic, I always like fantasy to have its roots in reality to make it more relatable and more interesting for the reader. I always loved that mixture of fact and fiction. Part of my research included learning about many different cultures, their legends, myths, language, every aspect of them. For me, my Fendellin is a secret, vast and wondrous land surrounded by mountains and hidden from humanity deep within the Himalayas. For Tibetans and many Indian people, that myth is actually real. Tibetans and many Hindu’s believe that there really is a vast hidden land within the Himalayas, they call it Shambhala. The legend of Shambhala inspired my Fendellin and was also the inspiration behind James Hilton’s ‘Lost Horizon’ and his legend of Shrangri-La!

I always loved that myth!  What are your future literary plans? When will Book 2 come out, for example?

Ah, that’s the 64 million dollar question! Lol, I admit I am a notoriously slow writer, I always have been. For me, crafting a quality book, doing detailed research and getting the story right will always be the most important thing. I’m busy writing and researching it now, I’d love it to be finished and published by the end of this year, but my gut tells me it will probably be a 2016 release. As for other literary works, I have three short stories being published in an awesome anthology this year, a picture book I’m working on and several other book projects in the works, but Book 2 & 3 of The Darkling Chronicles must take precedence!

This book was published previously, but has been republished by Grimbold Books and Kristell Ink. What happened to change your plans.

I’ll be careful what I say here, not because the people involved tried to slap me with an illegal non-disclosure clause but just because I’ve moved on and had such unhappy experiences with them that I don’t want to dwell on it. What I will say to all you lovely authors out there, is DO YOUR HOMEWORK! It’s ridiculous of me that I signed an awful contract with a so called publishing house that I knew nothing about. That was entirely my fault. Had I done any research I would have found out that in the short time they’d been trading, they had already had an author leave them, they were featured on Absolute Write, and that they had terrible contract terms for authors and truly dreadful covers! The sad truth is, that for every wonderful publisher out there, there are also unscrupulous people who will take advantage of gullible, naïve authors and will ruin their books and dreams in the process. Some are deliberate sharks and crooks, others are merely unprofessional and incompetent, but the result is the same – a LOT of heart ache! If any of you are unfortunate enough to be with a bad publisher, there IS life after, I promise! Just get yourself out, brush yourself off and start again, you’ll be stronger and wiser. I’m also a full member of The Society of Authors, a highly respected organisation that protects authors rights, almost like a union for writers, so I’d recommend joining something like that and get people to check your contract thoroughly BEFORE you sign it!

But I do admit, I was incredibly lucky to find my lovely new publishers, Grimbold Books and Kristell Ink Publishing, who couldn’t be more different. They are professional, friendly, supportive, have excellent contract terms for their authors and are all just thoroughly lovely people and their covers are AWESOME!

I’m going to drop you off in a remote Alaska cabin for a month. It’s summer, so you won’t freeze to death, you have plenty of food and bug spray. Do you spend the time hiking and hoping to see wildlife or reading and if you spend the time reading, what three books would you bring along?

Gosh, well, I’d kind of like to do both, lots of reading and exploring, I love wildlife. For me, I’d have to have Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (though I hope I don’t share the same fate with Christopher McCandless!), Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and something a lot lengthier for those long drawn out nights, so either JRR Tokien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frank Herbert’s The Great Dune trilogy or perhaps Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast trilogy!

I suspect you are much smarter than Christopher McCandless and would come better prepared for your Alaskan adventure. Anything else you would like to add?

Only a HUGE thank you to my lovely hostess with the most-ess, Lela! Thank you sweetie!  xxx

You’re always welcome, Sophie. Links, cover art, author pic, web sites, etc.

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/White-Mountain-The-Darkling-Chronicles/dp/1909845973/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/White-Mountain-The-Darkling-Chronicles/dp/1909845973/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1424290130&sr=1-1
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/white-mountain/sophie-e-tallis/9781909845978

Author Blog: https://sophieetallis.wordpress.com/
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/FantasyEpic
Book website: http://thedarklingchronicles.weebly.com/
Illustration website: http://sophieetallisillustrations.weebly.com/

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My beautiful giving son has given me his cold. When this kid catches a cold, mere mortals should be afraid because he never gets sick. So I don’t feel like doing anything today … Except I’m bored, so just playing on the site and checked out my all-time map on Word Press. You know the map that shows you where your blog readers come from?

I found it interesting. Southeast Asia hasn’t found me yet. The Middle East is ignoring me. SubSaharan Africa is apparently distracted by bigger issues than an Alaskan blogger and writer. Go figure?

All of Europe, Russia, China, most of South America, Australia … People checked me out nearly 14000 times.

But what’s up with Iceland and Greenland? No hits. Do you folks know that I have Vikings in The Willow Branch? They play a minor role in this book, but they will be formidable foes by the end of The Daermad Cycle. Come check it out.

The Willow Branch will publish this fall. Watch for it.

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This is a test. Feedback would be appreciated.

The Willow Branch

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Padraig, a part-elven healer, must mend the fractured kingdom of Celdrya and reconcile his mother’s race with his father’s, healing old animosities before a greater enemy can destroy both peoples. Contending with forgotten history, vengeful Celtic goddesses, warring human factions, and racial and religious bigotry, he is compelled to find the True King amidst a land torn by war and disease. With all that distraction, a man might meet the True King and not even recognize him.

Look for it this fall!

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