author interview

Author Interview: Kelly Coon (Gravemaidens)

Monday, October 21, 2019

Kelly Coon

YA author Kelly Coon (GRAVEMAIDENS, Oct. 29 2019 Delacorte Press, sequel 2020) is an editor for Blue Ocean Brain, a member of the Washington Post Talent Network, a former high school English teacher, ACT test prep book author, and a wicked karaoke singer in training. She adores giving female characters the chance to flex their muscles and use their brains, and wishes every story got the happy ending she's living near Tampa with her three sons, brilliant husband, and a rescue pup who will steal your sandwich.-Goodreads
Yeah, Kammani tends to be ultra-focused on the realities in front of her, while Nanaea allows herself to enjoy the moments of beauty and fun when they are there. I think Nanaea probably enjoys the very first selection festival the most because it is such a shock to her. No one expected that the daughter of a healer who has been cast down after failing to heal the lugal’s son would get the honor. So the thrill of her selection would only add to the excitement in her mind.
I was raised in a fundamentalist environment, so I heard about human sacrifice since the time I was a little kid. Although I’m not a fundamentalist anymore, the willingness of someone to die for something they believe in is compelling to me. Once I read some history about the ancient practices of human sacrifices all over the planet, I knew I wanted to set my story in a fantasy world where this was revered.
So much! I researched sewing lacerations, mixing tinctures, midwifery, weaponry, ancient common flowers, trees and herbs, and even what women used to do regarding periods in ancient times. Hint: modern society did not invent the tampon. 
He is of the nobility. In Alu, class is determined by what you own, and in general, there is a small portion of nobility and a larger portion of those who are working hard to stay afloat. Since Dagan’s family owns the most land, he is arguably one of the wealthiest people in the city. That’s why Kammani is supposed to feel grateful that he is seeking her hand (spoiler alert: she doesn’t). Someone of his wealth and status shouldn’t want to be with someone of such lowly means like Kammani, and like many of the traditions in her city, Kammani hates it. 
Work smarter, not harder. Oh! And have a growth mindset.

I wrote three failed novels prior to writing Gravemaidens. And I was nothing if not persistent; my 106 agent rejections are a testament to that. But doing the wrong things persistently didn’t get me anywhere. It wasn’t until I humbled myself and realized I had so much to learn about the craft of novels, did I get my wonderful agent, Kari Sutherland, and get a two-book deal with Delacorte Press. 
Sure! I’m just finishing up the edits on the sequel to Gravemaidens which comes out next fall. In this story, Kammani is working to prevent a war on her city’s soil, but she must battle warrior maidens who are just as intent on starting one while trusting her instincts—and her heart—to guide her. 

I’ve also written another novel that my editor is considering right now and am currently working on a YA contemporary with speculative elements. 
Iltani was absolutely my favorite to write. I basically wrote whatever popped into my head, whether it was sarcastic, mean, challenging, or witty. In real life, I have to bite my tongue a lot, but Iltani never has to. Haha! Sometimes, it’s fun to let loose, behave badly, and say exactly what you want to say, consequences be damned. 😉
I think I wrote the last scene between Nin Arwia and Kammani in the dungeon thirty different times. I was trying to get the emotional arc right for Kammani and it was difficult. Finally, I think I landed on it, but you’ll have to see for yourself if you think I was successful!!! 
Yes! Getting a book published with Random House was always on my bucket list, so now that I’ve done that, I would really like to be able to sell film rights to one of my stories. I know I have very little to do with whether my books get made into a series or a film, but that’s just one of those pie in the sky dreams that I feel like I want to pursue anyway. 


Thank you for joining us on the blog today, Kelly!

I absolutely adored Gravemaidens! Its heart pounding, jaw dropping journey takes readers completely by surprise. Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon is a masterful debut that twists your insides. Be sure to read my review on it, and most definitely add it to your tbr! Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon releases October 29, 2019! Make sure to check out Kelly Coon's website, where you can also find some goodies if you preorder her book!

About Gravemaidens

The start of a fierce fantasy duology about three maidens who are chosen for their land's greatest honor...and one girl determined to save her sister from the grave. In the walled city-state of Alu, Kammani wants nothing more than to become the accomplished healer her father used to be before her family was cast out of their privileged life in shame. When Alu's ruler falls deathly ill, Kammani’s beautiful little sister, Nanaea, is chosen as one of three sacred maidens to join him in the afterlife. It’s an honor. A tradition. And Nanaea believes it is her chance to live an even grander life than the one that was stolen from her. But Kammani sees the selection for what it really is—a death sentence. Desperate to save her sister, Kammani schemes her way into the palace to heal the ruler. There she discovers more danger lurking in the sand-stone corridors than she could have ever imagined and that her own life—and heart—are at stake. But Kammani will stop at nothing to dig up the palace’s buried secrets even if it means sacrificing everything…including herself.

author interview

Author Interview: Claire Eliza Bartlett (We Rule the Night)

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Claire Eliza Bartlett

I am a writer and tour guide in Copenhagen, Denmark. Though I originally come from Colorado, I left the US when I was eighteen and I haven’t lived there since. More permanent stops on my travels have included Switzerland, Wales and Denmark. The arrival of a Danish husband has somewhat cemented my living situation, but I get my travel in smaller doses these days. I like to write fantasy, mostly, though I dabble in soft sci-fi. My short stories are more adult, my novels more YA. I’ve studied history, archaeology, and writing. I like to take my inspiration from historical events, and the more unknown and inspiring the event, the better. I am represented by Kurestin Armada of P.S. Literary.
My inspiration is a true story - of a group of women in the USSR who formed the first all-women's combat regiment in modern history. They flew outdated biplanes against the Germans' top-of-the-line air force in WWII, dropping bombs, bricks and railroad ties, delivering supplies to other regiments and trying to keep the Germans from sleeping at night. They were incredible!


This scene was veeeery roughly inspired by real events. Tamara wanted them to understand that being in the army means you don't negotiate, and when you don't get what you want, you can't just change it. Also, there's the pesky problem that  Linné doesn't make friends very well! So Tamara was looking at a potentially long line of girls coming in to swap out partners, and she decided to cut things short. After all, everyone has to be able to work together.


Becoming a Skarov is a magical process, I can tell you that, and it has to do with what happens when Weave magic becomes tangled up. I can't say more in case I get to expound on it later ;) But essentially, when a person is recruited to the Information Unit, they go through intensive training and intensive magical experimentation. It's not a nice transformation. On the other hand, the Information Unit has power, and they have a safer station than most Union citizens. It's not hard to implicate a normal person of treason or suspicious behavior, but once you've jumped through the necessary hoops to become an Information Officer you have a larger measure of security against that.

Why did they do it? Dostorov wanted the higher pay and to get away from the front, even if it was just for six months or so. Tannov likes to know things...or he thought he did, before he knew them.


I'd probably be a pilot, but mainly because I know nothing of engineering and I can't navigate my way out of a paper bag!
Keep learning. There are always ways in which we can improve our craft, and that attitude often brings you into contact with other writers, who are amazing people and will enrich your lives!
The climax was definitely the big challenge. It was hard to bring in all the elements that made Revna and Linné dislike each other and weave (ha ha) them together to a satisfying conclusion. Plus, after intensive edits on the book we realized that the final act was no longer pulling its weight - so it had to be rewritten.
Honesty, I loved Dostorov. He doesn't get a lot of screen time but he cracks me up. Writing the Skarov was also fun because the dynamic was always shifting under Linné's feet. She never knew where she stood with her former friends.


Researching these were so much fun. Check out some Soviet propaganda posters to see the wide range posters I had to pick from! What I loved is that some of them were outright angry, or melancholy, while others from the same period were positive and depicted almost a different world.

My favorite Union saying is probably, NIGHT WON'T PREVENT US FROM WORKING, which is very close to an actual propaganda poster from that period, and was the first time I went, 'ah HAH' about using propaganda posters as chapter titles. It also gives an idea of what the Union is about: its citizens will work round the clock, whether they want to or not. I also loved THERE IS ONE TRUE PATH TO VICTORY, which really shows how the Union thinks in extreme black and white terms.
I am working on two projects at the moment! I think one is still super secret, but I can tell you about my standalone fantasy! I'm writing a Romanovs meets Twelve Dancing Princesses meets The Shape of Water type fantasy, about a science enthusiast princess who becomes the leader of her country when the rest of her family falls mysteriously ill. Navigating the problems her father left behind would be hard enough if she knew anything about politics; as it is she needs to save her family and find out which of her ministers are trying to help her, which are trying to use her, and which are trying to kill her. A frozen kingdom! Fish people in the kingdom Below! An f/f romance! I'm very excited for it.
I almost don't know what to choose from! But one thing that's been on my bucket list for a long time has been to get involved in a program here in Denmark for refugees. I hope I can cross it off soon!


Thank you for joining us on the blog today, Claire!

I was blown away by We Rule the Night! It is a riveting narrative filled with complex relationships and shocking action sequences. Seriously, add it to your tbr - it's fantastic! My review will be up tomorrow so stay tuned! We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett releases April 2, 2019. Be sure to check out Claire Bartlett's website!

About We Rule the Night

Two girls use forbidden magic to fly and fight–for their country and for themselves–in this riveting debut that’s part Shadow and Bone, part Code Name Verity. Seventeen-year-old Revna is a factory worker, manufacturing war machines for the Union of the North. When she’s caught using illegal magic, she fears being branded a traitor and imprisoned. Meanwhile, on the front lines, Linné defied her father, a Union general, and disguised herself as a boy to join the army. They’re both offered a reprieve from punishment if they use their magic in a special women’s military flight unit and undertake terrifying, deadly missions under cover of darkness. Revna and Linné can hardly stand to be in the same cockpit, but if they can’t fly together, and if they can’t find a way to fly well, the enemy’s superior firepower will destroy them–if they don’t destroy each other first. We Rule the Night is a powerful story about sacrifice, complicated friendships, and survival despite impossible odds.

author interview

Author Interview: Tiana Smith (Match Me If You Can)

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Tiana Smith

Tiana Smith is the author of young adult contemporary romance, Match Me If You Can (Swoon Reads/Macmillan 1/2019). She serves as the Communications Chair for the Storymakers Guild and is passionate about helping teens. She is a graduate of Westminster College, earning degrees in Honors and English, with a focus in creative writing. Tiana is represented by Eric Smith of P.S. Literary. Visit the author at www.tianasmith.com, follow her on Twitter @tiana_smith, or find her on Instagram @smith.tiana.
Have you ever seen the movie She's the Man? If so, we can be friends. If not, go watch it now. I'll wait.

The beginning menu of the movie sums it up by saying something like "Duke wants Olivia, who likes Sebastian, who is really Viola, whose brother is dating Monique, so she hates Olivia, who's with Duke to make Sebastian jealous, who is really Viola, who's crushing on Duke..."

And it's this convoluted mess of relationships that basically stems down to the fact that there's a girl who likes a boy that she shouldn't. I kept wondering, what if there's a girl who likes a boy, and she has the ability to actually make that relationship happen? And what if fate has someone better in store for her, who wasn't on her radar? Someone persistent, a little suave, and a whole lot swoonworthy? It'd probably get just as convoluted. I wanted to read that story, so I had to write it!
Well, Logan was partly inspired by my husband (I even stole some of his lines—with his permission, of course) so I gotta go with Logan on this one.

I also did journalism in high school! But the things I was involved in the most were orchestra and speech and debate. I played viola professionally for several years and was the first chair in the all-state orchestra, but sadly, my skills have gotten so rusty I hardly even take my instrument out of its case anymore. As for speech and debate, that’s a talent I still utilize whenever I give an author presentation. (Plus, my next book has a speech and debate plotline, so I get to relive my glory days!)


When I was in high school, I wrote for the Opinion section. I am very opinionated, haha.
Just keep trying! Writing is hard, and there are a lot of obstacles in your way if you want to get published. Every author has faced rejection. But once they faced that rejection (multiple times, usually), they kept going.
The beginning! I have at least ten different versions of the beginning saved on my computer. And trust me, each version was vastly different. The hard part about re-doing the beginning so many times is that you have to adjust the entire novel to fit with the new content you put there. Such a headache.
I really enjoyed writing Logan and his flirty ways. Such a charmer! I could see him perfectly in my mind and he always stole every scene I put him in. Those characters, the kind that take on a life of their own, are really the best.


I’d say she does a mixture of things. Yes, she goes off the results of her questionnaire, especially for the people that she doesn’t know too well. But a lot of it is done off instinct. When it involves her friends, she doesn’t even really need the questionnaire at all because she already has someone in mind for them. She’s always thinking of the next match. If she’s ever unsure, she’ll sit on it for a few days and watch people closely. Robyn is the queen of observation and people watching.
I’m working on my next book and I’m so excited about it! First of all, I’m excited because, hello, I get to have another book published and in the world! But I’m also thrilled because the story is a mash up of You’ve Got Mail and high school speech and debate, and that just makes my geeky heart so happy. It will come out about a year after MATCH ME IF YOU CAN, and it’s actually on Goodreads now!
I want to learn sign language! So so so badly. My husband is actually deaf in one ear, and his other ear is slowly getting worse over time. So, we have plans as a family to learn sign language together. I’m awful at languages, so wish me luck!


Thank you for joining us on the blog today, Tiana Smith!

I just finished Match Me If You Can and it absolutely needs to be on your radar. It's adorable, realistic, and definitely swoonworthy! My review will be up tomorrow so be sure to stay tuned. Match Me If You Can was published on January 8, 2019.

About Match Me If You Can

Mia's best friend Robyn is known for her matchmaking skills, which is perfect, because homecoming is just around the corner. But Robyn refuses to set Mia up with the guy of her dreams, which forces Mia to take matters into her own hands. She uses Robyn's matchmaking service to make sure popular Vince Demetrius falls for her. Vince asks her out, but Mia doesn't count on Logan, the persistent school newspaper photographer who seems to like her out of the blue. Now she has to choose between Vince - the guy she knows is right for her - and Logan, who insists that she give him a chance. And she needs to make sure Robyn doesn't find out that Mia's been matchmaking behind her back. Mia has two weeks before homecoming. Can she fix the mess she made or will she have to kiss her perfect match goodbye forever?

author interview

Author Interview: Lindsay Francis Brambles

Wednesday, October 07, 2015

Lindsay Brambles is represented by Kelly Sonnack of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. He was born in Ottawa, Canada in 1959. In ‘68 his father, an electrical engineer, signed on for a job overseas. This led to a decade of living and traveling in countries such as Pakistan, Iran, and Tanzania.
After grade three, Lindsay’s formal education was largely through the Ontario Ministry of Education correspondence course. He has spent most of his post-academic life in a variety of unrelated jobs, ranging from construction to childcare, all while pursuing a vocation as an artist.
When not engaged in the literary arts, painting, or earning money in less creative pursuits, Lindsay enjoys anything fitness related (especially cycling), collecting Gold Key comics and motion picture soundtracks, tinkering with computers, and just about anything that will expand his awareness of the world around him. Passionate about science and technology, he is especially interested in astronomy, cosmology, and quantum mechanics.
Lindsay is at present busily working on several books, not least of which are the sequel and final novel in the Haven trilogy (of which Becoming Darkness is the first in the series).--Goodreads
I can’t say that I ever had a staggering compulsion to write a vampire novel, but seeds for one came when several years ago I acquired a new e-reader and began reading some of the classics. Among these was Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which I’d never read before – though, of course, like many people I knew of it and had seen countless movies based on it. At about the same time, I happened to catch a documentary on TV that featured a clip from an information film the British government had made during the war that had been intended for public consumption in the event that a successful invasion of the island by Hitler’s forces seemed imminent. The film had this scene where there were German soldiers (British actors, actually) riding about London in a double-decker bus, behaving like a bunch of tourists. That got me to thinking about what it might have been like had the Axis powers won the war. One thing led to another, and I had one of those “eureka!” moments when two disparate ideas came together: What if the Nazis had won the war because one of their science experiments had gone awry and wiped out most of the opposition? And what if that experiment had resulted in most of the survivors becoming vampires?

It didn’t take me long to imagine a world in which Hitler’s war machine had unleashed an airborne virus that rapidly spread around the globe. Those the virus didn’t wipe out would be turned into vampires (or people who manifested vampire-like traits) – except, of course, the few individuals immune to the virus. I did at one point consider calling the transformed survivors of the plague “virals,” but I felt the vampire angle offered more potential for drawing the reader in. There’s also the fact that when you say “vampire,” people have an immediate sense of what you’re talking about and what is at stake for some of the characters involved.

The more I worked on developing the novel, the more I realized that vampires have so much potential as a vehicle for saying a lot about our own society. And I thought there was a way to create a vampire novel that wasn’t like any other out there. Whether I’ve succeeded will be up to the readers.

I’m a voracious reader and I read a lot of non-fiction, and some of that happens to be history and a lot of it science. For Becoming Darkness I did seek out a few more books about World War 2, but I was also able to draw on what I already knew. I also went through a few other vampire novels, but mostly to make certain I avoided covering territory they already had.

For Haven, part of the sense of that place comes from my own experiences. When I was nine, we moved to what was then known as West Pakistan and lived on a small colony in Sukkur (though we would later move to a slightly larger one in Khairpur). Being a minority, living in a tiny walled-in community, was an unusual experience – particularly since we didn’t have access to many of the things people back home took for granted. There was no TV, and the local cinema only showed English films one day a week. We didn’t even have a telephone, and our only source of regular news from the outside world was through my father’s prized Braun shortwave radio (over which we listened to the BBC). Things like common breakfast cereals, chocolate bars, and peanut butter were unattainable. We used to have to send away to Hong Kong for shipments of luxury food items, such as ham (in a can), processed cheese (also in a can and very rubbery), and products that simply didn’t exist in Pakistan at that time.

The idea for rationing in Haven came in part from that, although I also drew upon my parents’ stories of life in Britain during World War 2. (My mother worked for the Admiralty and my father was a junior officer on a Royal Navy an escort carrier.) The sense of isolation and being surrounded on all sides by a culture foreign to one also was born from my personal experience of life on those colonies.
When we lived in Pakistan, we endured blackouts and brownouts on an almost daily basis, which is something I threw into Haven to add to the sense of an environment that on the surface seems like paradise, but in reality is far from it. A society that in many regards is stretched to its limits.

I got the idea for the Mandatory Labor Service (which Sophie and Camille must endure in the book) by  how a large proportion of the British population (particularly the female half) was co-opted for duties of various kinds during the war. I was also able to draw upon personal experience for that as well. When I lived in Moshi, Tanzania, the local government came up with the idea of planting corn all over the place – even in the roadside ditches of the town. The plan was that when it was ready for harvest, local students would be called upon to pick it. I don’t recall whether that actually happened in the end, but I do recall cycling about and seeing an awful lot of corn growing all over the place.

Frankly, I can’t imagine being a vampire, confined to a life in which one would be dependent on blood for one’s sustenance. I’m not sure the trade-off of being immortal and almost indestructible (well, except for the whole sunlight thing and the stake through heart bit – oh, and the toxic Immune blood) would be worth it. And in Sophie’s world being a vampire definitely sucks (pun intended).

If I were in a world where Gomorrah existed, I’d definitely want to be an Immune. If you’re a non-Immune, without that built in immunity, you’re toast.

At first blush the hybrid seems to have the best of both worlds: strong, possibly immortal (or at least able to live hundreds of years), able to endure sunlight, and with no dependency on blood. Of course, there is the possibility of insanity… But, hey, it would be worth the gamble to be able to live to see the world change over the course of centuries rather than decades and at the same time enjoy it in a normal fashion, rather than being stuck skulking about at night and only having one menu choice.

So it’s hybrid for me.

I love Sophie to bits. She’s smart, she’s witty, has sass, and doesn’t take guff from anyone. A strong, independent woman, yet also flawed – and sometimes it was the flaws that were the best parts to write. But as much as I love her, I have to say that some of the secondary characters were the most fun for me. And of those, it’s Inspector Havershaw, hands down.

Havershaw is the embodiment of those British detectives like Foyle (from the Foyle’s War TV series), Inspector Morse (also from TV) and Inspector West (who used to be on BBC radio and whose exploits I used to listen to every week when we lived in Pakistan and later in Iran). They have a certain character about them. Sometimes a little rumpled, a little circumspect, and often meditative. They’re not the action type, running about with guns, getting into all sorts of dangerous shenanigans. They go about their business quietly and methodically, in a manner that is often deceptive, fooling those around them into thinking they’re not doing much at all. If Becoming Darkness were a TV series, I’d want Havershaw’s role expanded because he’s just this great guy, trying to do the right thing in a situation he never bargained for.

Developing the relationship between him and Sophie was enormous fun, and I wish there would have been more of that. The good thing is that I got to use him again in the sequel.

I chose New York City for a lot of reasons, not least of which is that when you think of noire films, that’s the city you think of (and there’s a definite noire aspect to Becoming Darkness). New York City just has such a compelling atmosphere of shadowy alleyways, wide avenues filled with cars and bright lights, and towering, monolithic structures brooding over the landscape. There’s also the fact that it has readily identifiable features that fit with the plot, not least of which being the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and Grand Central Terminal. When you speak of them, most people have a pretty good idea of what you’re talking about. Also, let’s face it, of all the cities in the world, there are probably only a handful that are readily known to most of humanity, and New York City would probably be at the very top of that list. It’s big, dynamic, and interesting in so many ways.

I just never really gave it a second thought when I was considering which North American city would be the one to which the vamps would gravitate. It seemed the obvious choice.

If Sophie had been an everyday Immune, they’d have probably given her the nickname “Stinky” (for reasons you may recall from the book). But as it is, I think she’d have been given a moniker more like “Spunky” (because she’s rather gutsy – probably more often than she should be). Or the vamps might have called her “Kid,” the way Isabelle refers to her. The latter would make sense, because among the vamps she really is just a kid.

As for me, I’d want something kind of mysterious. Maybe “Enigma” or “Mister X.” Unfortunately, if the vamps were naming me, they’d probably just call me “Dead Meat” (because I don’t think I’d last that long in a New York City run by Nazi vamps).

I think one of the most challenging scenes to write had to be the one in which Sophie discovers that not only did Val have a connection to her mother (What?!), but to her grandmother as well (Holy cow!). I mean, hell, I think that would blow just about anyone’s mind and it certainly knocks Sophie for a loop. It’s clearly a somewhat unsettling revelation, but there are a few reasons why I wanted to have those connections, not least of which was to emphasize that Val isn’t exactly what he appears to be. On the surface he looks like an eighteen year old, but he has actually lived about eight decades. More than once I made this point, partly because I think vampire novels tend to gloss over the issue or ignore it altogether. I wanted readers to think about that and perhaps be a little unnerved by it, because ultimately I wanted there to be this sense that both Val and Sophie are real people, and as such they are flawed. One of those flaws is the fact that they’re drawn to one another despite the fact that the relationship is problematic on so many levels. But love tends to blind people to the truth, and even the most intelligent, rational people can do pretty stupid and crazy things when they’ve fallen deeply for another.

I think this scene was crucial to revealing just how intense the feelings between Sophie and Val are; that despite what Sophie learns, despite her doubts and suspicions, she can’t bring herself to give up on this man. Without that, I don’t think Sophie would do some of the things she does, and I’m not sure Val would either. And although I don’t think of Becoming Darkness as a romance novel, the relationship between Sophie and Val is an important component of the story and at times serves as one of the propulsive forces that carries the narrative forward. Without it, I’m not sure you get to the end of the story – certainly not in the same way.

There’s a point toward the end of the novel when Val makes a vague reference to someone having told him in the past about Sophie, and in the third book, you get to see how this comes about and why it is that Val was so drawn to a woman who would, in a way, be his ultimate downfall.

I’m not sure I’m in any position to be dispensing advice to anyone when it comes to writing. I’m pretty new to the publishing game and I still have a lot to learn about it and the art of writing. But there are a few words of wisdom I can pass along based solely on my own experiences thus far.
The first thing, of course, is that in order to be a good writer I think you have to be a good reader. It’s not just about devouring as many books as you possibly can; it’s about looking at more than the story and analyzing how writers write, the way they use words, the rhythms and cadence of their styles, the construction of their plots, the way in which they parcel  it out in their chapters, how they handle dialogue, etc.

Read books that are recognized as being well-written and examine them carefully for all the aforementioned aspects, because good writing is so much more than just the story. That’s important, of course, but if a story is told using clunky prose that’s difficult to wade through and a narrative that lacks cohesion and shows a poor sense of construction, then no matter how compelling the tale, it’ll be diminished to the point of being irrelevant if not told well.

Assuming you get your story written, it’s important to get feedback on it. You want people who will be brutally honest with you. I doubt anyone likes criticism, but as a writer you need to look at in a positive light. As much as it might sting, it’s to your advantage to accept it and use it to improve your work. That doesn’t mean that you have to agree with it all, but you owe it to yourself to seriously consider everything readers tell you and not just dismiss it outright. It’s the way you’ll improve as a writer.

When I was writing Becoming Darkness, Kelly Sonnack (my agent at the time) gave me lots of pointed critiques of the work. If I had ignored them, I don’t think the book would ever have been published. I always considered her advice, and because of that I think I ended up with a much better novel. Likewise, when Alison Deering (the editor at Switch Press who worked with me on the book) asked for changes, I rarely argued the point because I understood that it was her objective to make the book the best it could be, and that’s what I wanted too.

It’s important to realize that getting published traditionally (if that’s the route you choose) is seldom easy. There are a lucky few who will land big contracts right out of the gate and enjoy enormous success, but for most writers it’s a much tougher row to hoe. For the majority, patience (a lot of it) and determination will be essential, because rejection is the norm and success (when it comes) is measured in much smaller financial returns than the six and seven figure deals that many aspiring writers dream about.

The fact is, few writers are going to be lucky enough to be able to make their living off writing – which doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. But be realistic, and go into it with your eyes wide open, conscious of the fact that it may take you years (yes, “years”) to get anywhere. The John Greens, Veronica Roths, and Suzanne Collins of the writing world are rare; and while it’s always possible you may end up achieving the success they’ve had, don’t count on it. Strive toward it, yes. That’s an absolute must. But don’t give up or be disheartened if you don’t attain that kind of stature.

Lastly, get an agent. This isn’t by any means easy, and you should do a lot of research before submitting your work to one. But if you want to get anywhere in the traditional publishing world, an agent is pretty much an absolute must. The chances of getting a publishing deal without one are slim. More importantly, however, an agent serves as your go-between and is there to get the best deal for you. They do a lot of things that few writers are skilled enough to handle, and the good ones will help you make your book better and offer you advice on so much that you’ll need to know as you venture forth on your writing career. I can say unequivocally that I would not have succeeded without mine; she’s a gem.

Well, I’ve written a sequel and I have about two thirds of a third and final book written (in rough draft). Whether these get published depends upon several factors, not least being the success of the first book. There are no guarantees in the publishing world, and one has to remember that publishing is a business and books have to make money. So if enough people buy Becoming Darkness, then the publisher (Switch Press) may exercise the option to purchase the sequel. But that’s basically up to you, the readers. I’ve done my part, now you have to do yours.

There is, too, the possibility that the publisher might not like the direction I’ve taken the second part of the story. I don’t know; but I can say that I’ve taken it in the only direction that worked for me.
As to the content of the sequels, I don’t really want to give too much away, but I will tell you that they’re probably not going quite where readers may be anticipating. While Sophie appears in the second book, she’s not actually the central character. I can also tell you that her mother does appear in the sequel as well, although only briefly (but playing a critical role – and no, she never actually talks).

No Haven for Darkness, the book mentioned a few times in Becoming Darkness, is very important to the sequel and the third novel. The third book also involves a form of time travel, though not in the way most people would expect.

I intend to take the story full circle, so that the end will connect to the beginning – which is to say that readers will get to see the Fall and the beginnings of Haven, but also what ultimately happens to Sophie and her world.

I should stop at that because I think I’ve already given way too much away.

Right now, I’m working on a YA contemporary. I also have a draft of another YA completed, this one a sort of SF thriller set about thirty years in the future. I’ve also got a very rough draft of a sequel to that one completed. As well, I have preliminary notes for another YA contemporary. And then there are the ideas in my notebooks that may or may not ever get developed. It all depends on how my writing career goes and what takes my fancy in the days ahead. What I’m not doing is trying to write to trends, because the publishing industry moves at such a slow pace that what is fashionable now may not be so by the time the book hits the shelves.

I have a short bucket list of things I’d really like to do: take a trip into space (which may soon be possible for tourists – though it’s unlikely I’ll ever have the $250,000 to purchase a seat); fly in an airship (you may have surmised from Becoming Darkness that I have a fascination with them); climb to the top of Kilimanjaro (back in the mid 70s I actually lived in Marangu, in the foothills of the mountain, but never got a chance to go to the top); sail underwater in a submarine (I’ve been in one, but not while it was underway); sail around the world (back when I was a kid my father was planning to do that with us, but like many things in life, reality intervened); learn to fly a helicopter (I flew gliders for a while, but helicopters are a whole different kettle of fish); go to Egypt and see the pyramids and other ruins (we came close in our travels when I was young, but never quite got there); go to Australia (because, hey, it’s Australia! – warm weather, nice people, modern cities, etc.); and meet Buzz Aldrin and shake his hand (because I’m really big into the whole manned exploration of space thing).

Of things I’d like to achieve, getting a book published the traditional way and having it become a bestseller was always high on my list. I’ve done half of that, but the second part remains to be seen.

The one thing at the very top of my list that I’ve always wanted to accomplish was to really make a difference – in a positive way – to other people’s lives. Unfortunately, that’s not anywhere near as easy as it sounds. But I keep trying, and maybe one day I’ll succeed. That’s when I’ll truly be happy and feel I’ve done something of worth.


Thank you, Lindsay Francis Brambles, for visiting the blog today! It was so much fun!

Becoming Darkness is one of my new favorite books and if you haven't, you definitely should check it out.  Read my review. 

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If you've read it, there is a guidebook to Haven and other cool things that you can check out on Lindsay Brambles' website.
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