Hey everyone! <3
Whoa...am I excited today!!! :)
Today is a VERY, VERY special day because we have an AWESOME guest joining us! T.G. Ayer, author of novel Dead Radiance, is here - yes, right here :) - to answer some questions! Wow! Unfortunately I haven't been able to start Dead Radiance YET, but I am EXCITED to start it soon!!!
T.G. Ayer - Author of Dead Radiance
Description - Amazon.com
Evolved Publishing brings you a Norse Mythology adventure, "Dead Radiance (a Valkyrie Novel – Book 1)," by T.G. Ayer. (YA Paranormal Fantasy)
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"...That day I knew for sure. I'd lost control of my tears then. They fell in huge, mocking drops. I stared at Joshua through those bitter tears, my heart missing beats as I tried to remember to breathe.
I finally knew what the glow meant.
I was a freak and Joshua was going to die...."
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Bryn Halbrook had always seen the glow. But it is only when her best friend dies that she discovers the meaning of those beautiful golden auras—Death. Alone, lost in the foster system, she struggles to understand who she is and why she was cursed with the ability to see the soon-to-be-dead.
The new foster kid, Aidan, isn’t helping any. Mr. Perfect seems to fit in no matter what, making her feel even more pathetic. But when his affections turn to her, Bryn finds him hard to resist. Impossible, actually. A mystery himself, Aidan disappears, leaving behind a broken heart and a mysterious book that suggests Bryn might not be entirely human.
Bryn stands at the threshold of a journey of discovery. Will destiny help her find herself, find her purpose and her place in a world in which she’d never belonged?
*****
Alright Tee... Here we go...
How did you become a writer? Have you always wanted to write?
I’ve always written. I grew up on Enid Blyton, so when I was eight I was writing little stories in the Blyton tradition – elves, fairies and my own version of Moonface from the Farway Tree adventures. And I’ve always written poetry – in fact I still have a book filled with poems that I’d written from age 11 to 20- some hideous that will never see the light of publication and others that are fairly good that I wouldn’t be too embarrassed to show to the world. I have to admit, though, that the actual decision to make writing my dream come true was
something that happened over a period of time. I’d decided to try my hand at writing again when we were unpacking and my daughter read a couple of chapters of an old piece I’d written – an Egyptian fantasy
mystery. When she exclaimed that it was really good I laughed rather loudly. But she’d sown the seed and very soon I was Googling and borrowing writing books to see what I could do about my
long dead dream.
What was your reaction when you held Dead Radiance in book form in your hands for the first time?
It was the most surreal feeling. I'd waited for it- half expecting it not to arrived. Then I had the fasted shower in the history of showers, wondering I missed the knock on the door. Then when the courier finally did know I went racing down the stairs almost faceplanting the wall at the bottom landing. Pity the courier guys was about the unfriendliest chap ever. Even my big fat grin did nothing to elicit a positive response from him. Poor dude - musta wondered if I was crazy.. And when I finally did look at it I was bemused. Lets just say I am still fairly bemused...
Describe your writing process.
I used to think of myself as a pantser- really thought that planning takes the magic out of the writing. But I have discovered I was very wrong. I now used index cards, and plan my chapters or scenes, jotting down general ideas of what should happen in the scene. Once the whole book (or most of the book) is plotted, I start writing. I do stop to research, only because the researching fuels my ideas for the book - fortunately I don't get bogged down in the research, just get back to writing as soon as its done. Then I write, and keep writing until I reach the end. I have joined a writing group that uses word wars to help urge writers to get those words down.
And I have the most amazing writing sister with whom I speak every day. I think its really important to have someone be there with you through that journey.
I'm fortunate that I have a bunch of amazing writing friends who skype and facebook and support each other constantly.
Once my first draft is done it's off to my Beta readers and I get on with the first polish- structure, pacing and prose. I don't go too in-depth as I prefer to wait for my Beta's feedback first. Then I fix the main issues, go over grammar and punctuation and then its off to my editor. I hope to be able to get into a more consistent routine but I'm not so sure there is such a thing as a consistent routine in a writers life :)
What Inspired you to write Dead Radiance?
Dead Radiance is story about a teenage girl who discovers she is a Valkyrie. But such a privilege must have a price, and she is soon at the mercy of the goddess Freya, forced to find the goddess's precious necklace. The price for her failure - the life of the boy who
betrayed her. Bryn's story is about dealing with the wishes that are finally granted, it's about yearning for closeness and then allowing oneself to trust. It's about a family that is joined not by blood but by love.
Watching my teens and their friends tiptoe through the minefield of teenhood was enough of a reason for me to write about Bryn. I wanted to inspire my readers, to remind them that courage and strength is always inside you, and that no matter what life throws at you there is always a positive side to life. Above all I didn't want to write a dark book. I have plenty of dark manuscripts to share with readers in the future, but Dead Radiance wrote as a story with hope and courage and trust within its pages. I hope that after reading Dead Radiance
readers go away with a great experience in Norse Mythology and a desire to learn more about this interesting lore. And secondly I hope that readers are inspired to have take a chance on themselves, to trust in their own strength and to have courage to pursue life to its fullest.
What is the one thing you want people to remember about Dead Radiance?
For me I want readers to remember Bryn’s inner strength. Something she never acknowledged. And it’s something that each and every person has within themselves. So many of us spend years being lost, unable to find that strength and stand up for ourselves, to defend our beliefs and have the courage to go beyond our social or familial constraints.
It's what Bryn’s journey is essentially. But the strongest thing anyone can ever do is to put their trust is someone else, to let go just a little bit, and to allow yourself to lean on someone. Strength is important, but without trust strength is just bravado.
If you could give aspiring writers one piece of advice, what would it
be?
Never, ever give up. That’s the main thing, I guess. Work hard, focus on your goal. Make the choices that lead to attaining your goal, not the ones that hinder your progress. And the best thing you can do is learn the craft, learn the rules of the industry. Learn the do’s and don’ts, and polish your manuscript until it shines. Whether you are submitting to agents or publishers, always, always put you best foot forward. And... never, ever give up. :)
That was some great advice!
Thank you Tee, for that awesome interview and for stopping by!
I've got my copy!
If you want yours... pick it up here...
come on... I know you do!
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