Would you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?I am a 31 year old nurse, originally from Essex UK and now residing in Cambridgeshire. I work part time in healthcare education and have a daughter who attends school. I am married and have 4 chickens and 2 cats plus a royal python. I love fantasy and adventure and watch a lot of American T.V with a strong theme of Sci-fi running through it! In essence I am bit Geek. Huge Stargate fan and I have part of the writing from the ‘one ring’ tattooed on my wrist.
Which book are you currently promoting?
My first Novel, ‘Amber’s Destiny’. Which launched on Kindle on 13th December 2012.
Can you tell us what the book is about?
The book is essentially about a young woman, Amber Raine, who finds herself with amnesia in a small country town. In beginning to put her life back together she unveils some extra-ordinary abilities and is soon head-hunted by two separate private security companies who are far more that they seem. In choosing her new path, she needs to decide whether her decision will hold the key to her past. When she starts to unravel the secrets of her past and her ‘accident’ she begins to discover that it is all inextricably linked with her own, unwavering destiny.
How did you come up with the idea for this book?
I was thinking about the idea of how to change modern conceptions around a central theme and present it in a new way. The answer I cam up with led to much research and scraps of paper but soon the over-arching story came to form in my mind. From there I was able to create a story arc that covered 6 books, the first of which deals with understanding who Amber is and what role her Destiny has to play in the world.
Where did you come up with the title of the book from?
I knew I wanted my central character to be called Amber (which is also know as a ‘Window to the Past’) and that the first novel would surround her finding her place within her new company and also within the world of which she has no memory. I had a few drafts of the title but settled for a theme that could carry through the books (Amber) and a defining characteristic of the plot.. in this case, Amber’s Destiny. It was the most effective way of summing up the plot in two intriguing and exciting words.
What can you tell us about your main characters?
Amber is the main character and she is a fairly head-strong and free-willed woman who is no stranger to hurt but also inherently positive.
Did you have to do any research in order to help you with the writing of this book?
Yes I did some. To tell you what would ruin the end of the book. But I did spend several weeks researching different aspects. As the book progressed I found myself researching quite strange things. I didn’t expect to have to investigate flight times from Japan to Hawaii but I wanted to make the book as realistic as possible so I duly looked them up.
What made you decide to become a writer?
I have written since I was a teenager and I love being immersed in a story. It’s my way of relaxing, by taking that story and getting lost in it I can leave my worries behind for a short time and live another life. It’s so enjoyable to see a story take shape. I took up this project as a time-filler when I worked somewhere particularly quiet and was able to use my time where I had no work to do as I wished. When I left it was harder to write but I had been consumed by Amber’s story and I couldn’t let it go. It was a story that just wouldn’t leave me. I had to see it through.
What genre do you generally write?
As this is my first and it’s fantasy I guess I would say that, but I have other ideas in the back of my mind, including a stargate tie-in novel that I have started. I love Sci-fi but I would worry I wouldn’t do it justice due to my limited scientific understanding. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t try!
Are you interested in writing other genres?
See above, but also I have a plan to write a children’s book with my husband.
Do you follow a routine when you begin to write a scene or chapter?
Not really. I have a chapter plan in my head for the whole book then I approach one chapter at a time and I will know what key events I want to include in that chapter, then as I sit down and write I often find that the book starts to write itself. I often found things happening that I didn’t plan to put in when I sat down, but they make the process much more exciting as even I don’t quite know what it going to happen. It’s like writing it and reading all at the same time!
How long does it usually take for you to write a book?
Amber’s Destiny took me four years to write but I anticipate that the others will not take as long as I was often afraid of moving forward with the book as I knew when it was finished I would have to do something with it. That scared me, I’m not sure why but it did. Now I have the first one under my belt and published on Amazon, I feel much more motivated to write.
Do you have a general idea of what direction you want the plot to take ahead of time?
Yes. I know the general plot of each of the books and there are some specific plot parts that are already cemented in my mind. Other parts are more hazy and develop as the story is written.
Have you ever had second doubts about a story you’ve written?
This is obviously the first completed story and I never once had second doubts about it. My fear was far more that it wouldn’t get published. I was so captivated by the story I was telling that I knew it would be good, or at least that I would think it was good.. lol. I’m very thankful that I didn’t doubt it as I would probably have given up on it had I done.
Are there any authors you admire?
I love Terry Pratchett, Tolkein and Alexander McCall-Smith but really, any book I read where the story captivates me and allows me to escape into another world is worth praise. I know now how hard it is to come up with all the aspects that make a book and I admire anyone who can do it. Storytelling is so much more than correct grammar and spelling and I think that if you can tell a good story then you could write a book. Because I was told that women couldn’t write by an English teacher of mine over 10 years ago, I was very put off but I think Authors like J.K.Rowling and Stephanie Meyer have been an inspiration to a generation.
What other projects are you currently working on?
As I mentioned earlier I have a Stargate SG1 tie-in novel on the back burner and I have a project that I am working on with my husband around concepts of time but I get confused with his ideas, so its not a perfected process working with a spouse!
Did you self-publish? If not, is that something you will be willing to consider in the future?
Yes I self-published straight to kindle. Paperback wise I am still following that road to see where it might lead.
What is your least favorite part about getting published?
From a self publishing perspective, it’s the editing.. it’s so arduous and even after 5 edits there are still errors in there which I’m sure none but the most grammar-police of us would pick out but it’s not an easy task.
Twitter, facebook, blogs, link-in groups, newspapers, word of mouth,
you name it. I tell veryone I meet that I’ve written a book. The power of
social media cannot be underestimated so I have put a lot of work to
promotion on social networking sites. I also plan to use goodreads and
readit to promote my book.
readit to promote my book.
Where can the readers find more information about you?
Twitter @ElizaBHart
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