Author interview with Astrid V.J.

I'm delighted to introduce my first author from the anthology 'Third name's a Charm' which was released on April 14th 2024. Astrid V.J writes fantasy and was first published in 2019. She has indie published 6 novels, 10 novellas and 5 short stories - wow! So let's meet her:

'I am a USA Today Bestselling and multiple award-winning fantasy author, originally from South Africa. I write a whole range of sub-genres of fantasy including historical, futuristic, urban, and fairytale retellings, but the one thing all my writing has in common is an exploration of our human capacity for transformation and achieving success in the face of adversity. For this reason, I term what I write: transformation fiction.'

Can she give us a tweetable (tweet here):

'Astrid V.J. writes fantasy in a variety of subgenres, bringing to life what she calls transformation fiction: exploring our human capacity to achieve success in the face of adversity.'

What inspired her to become a writer?
'When I was 12, I read a book that sparked an idea, which blossomed and grew. I have been writing ever since.'

What does her daily writing routine look like?
'I’m a mother of two young children, I work a day job to pay the bills, and I’m also a wife. There is no daily writing routine for me. I carve out small pockets of time every week to focus on what I love. When I have a chance, even for just half an hour, I’ll write all I possibly can, so I guess even if my routine is lacking I do irregular but highly effective writing sprints.'

Oh wow, that's impressive! What does Astrid enjoy the most about writing?
'I love the whole process of bringing a story to life. I love working on my characters and outlining the story. Writing the first draft is always a fun process of discovery, while the polishing that comes with several rounds of editing is always very rewarding. I guess, for me, the whole process is what gives me life, so I enjoy every moment of it.'

No wonder she finds the time then! What does she find the hardest part of the writing/ publishing process?
'I struggle most with marketing, although I think I’ve gotten better at it with experience. I find it challenging to talk to other people about my writing in a way that doesn’t over- or underwhelm. Finding the sweet spot of giving enough enthusiasm and information without inundating others is hard.'

She seems to have the perfect balance to me! What's the best money she's ever spent as a writer?
'Paying my editor. She is a wonder and has helped me refine my writing wonderfully.'

Good editors are worth their weight in gold! What does she find the most difficult thing about writing characters who are very different from her personally?
'This is a part I absolutely love. I adore doing the research to get into my characters’ shoes and shifting my perspective to see the world through their eyes is a lot of fun. I suppose what is hard about it is the time it takes, but I simply see that as part of the process.'

Does Astrid read reviews of her books and how does she deal with them?
'I do. I appreciate every reader who’s taken the time to write a review no matter what they think. There are so few who actually write reviews, so I totally appreciate that they do. 

Good reviews help inspire me to keep writing, while negative reviews, if I find the reviewer has a valid point about their negativity, helps me do better next time. I have, in fact, re-worked one of my earlier books thanks to a constructive negative review that helped me see where I’d missed clarifying important information that had been misunderstood.'

And this is how we have the power to help writers. If you're unsure how to write a review, do take a look at my previous post here. 

Before we get into the anthology, why has she chosen to be one of the authors featured?
'Many of my short stories appear in permanent charity anthologies supporting causes I care about. This means all profits from these books are donated in perpetuity to specific charities. I’m very honoured to be part of two groups of fabulous authors who participate in these inspirational projects.'

So, onto 'Third Name’s A Charm' - what is her story called?

'My story in this anthology is “Lady of Forests and Seas”'

 

And a tweet that promotes this book (tweet here):
'Third Name’s A Charm is a collection of 20 short, quirky fantasy stories about trios and triple threats suitable for YA and adult readers. All profits will be donated to support global literacy.'
 

 Could she give us a synopsis of her story?

'Johara is travelling her country when news reaches her of Kurtar raiders who've sacked Al-Madeh. Soon after, Johara comes face to face with a former suitor, turned enemy, the prince leading the raiders to pillage her country. After she is captured and her husband tortured, Johara despairs of ever escaping, but she has one unexpected chance to make things right.'

 

That sounds high action! Is this anthology part of a series?

'Yes, but each collection can be read on its own. They are:
Once Upon A Name
Twice Upon A Name
Third Name’s A Charm'

Excellent! What was the hardest scene to write and why?
'The scene in Lady of Forests and Seas that was hardest for me to write is when Johara finds herself captured and feels completely helpless. 

She returns to a frame of mind she thought she’d overcome previously, and being thrown back into that sense of utter uselessness was very difficult for me to capture, but I think I managed in the end.'

Did she need to complete any research?
'This short story is set within a greater world I’ve spent decades creating, so part of the research was done previously. What I had to research specifically for Lady of Forests and Seas was on Mongolian culture and particularly how yurts are constructed as well as the clothing worn during the time of the Mongol Empire.'

It sounds a fascinating short story in a wonderful charity book, so please take a look and help this cause if you can. You can find out more about the author on her links below:

Website: www.astridvj.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064127106021
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astrid.v.j_author_official/

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Author interview with J.O. Quantaman

This week I’m interviewing J.O. Quantaman who has written four novels, spanning the genres of futuristic history, martial arts, coming of age, PTSD and social issues. First published in 2015 as an indie author, his books are available in paperbacks/ eBooks and shortly audiobooks too, so let’s meet John.

‘I've worked as a sports fishing guide, a photographer, a taxicab driver and software developer. I am a lifelong history buff. I read both history and fictional history. In ancient times, there is very little to distinguish between the two. Although I deal with a future time, circa 2070s, I try to approach it as a contemporary journalist would.’

 

Gosh, what a diverse career! What inspired him to become a writer and does he have a daily writing routine?

‘I wanted a new challenge and my routine is to wake up and write a few lines. I spend the rest of the day editing.’

 

It sounds like fun to me, but that’s because it’s my hobby! How difficult does he find it writing characters very different from his own personality?

‘My life and friendship have been very diverse so I have models or composite models to draw on for my characters. The hardest part is plausibility. It's hard to demonstrate skills most folks don't believe they have. I hope my characters are taken for humans rather than specially endowed superheroes.’

What has been his hardest scene to write so far?

‘In "Hot Wheels" Jen uses a paraglider to escape the scene of her attack on the transnational summit of CEOs. Lot of research was needed to describe the flight realistically.’

 

Gosh! Was he tempted to have a go, rather than relying on research?

‘I was over 70-years-old when I wrote sections about paragliding. I researched the skill extensively, but I haven't paraglided myself.’

 

Oh wow, I think that’s being very wise then! What does John enjoy the most and least about writing and publishing?

‘I enjoy the sense of fulfilment, making myself useful. Amazon has made it easy to publish, but it has made it hard to distinguish one's own brand from the millions of other authors.’

 

Very true. Indie authors do need to work harder to make their books seen, so what’s been the best money he’s spent as a writer?

‘I believe now I'm paying professional speakers to turn my work into audio versions. It shows I'm ready to use my own money to reap future sales.’

 

Moving onto his books, which should people read first, and why?

‘"Woke: Cool Assassin 1" is the logical choice to read first. Here the two main characters are fully developed: their histories, childhoods, motivations and personal goals. For the rest of books, the narrative will fall in place.’

 

Great. Can he give us a synopsis of “Hot Wheels” (tweet here):

‘Jen has bombed the summit of the seven largest global corporations. She escapes in a paraglider and rendezvous with JoAnna, her getaway doyen. The women are pursued by many dozens of corporate mercs.’

 

Now that sounds exciting! Can he give us an overview of the series (tweet here):

‘The Cool Assassins series includes dozens of ways to cope with the coming Climate Crisis, both individually and socially.’

Interesting. Can he expand on the climate change element in his books?

‘I've followed scientific literature about Climate Change since the 1980s. It's clear that no government has or is taking action to delay or avert Climate Change. The public media has and is downplaying the calamitous effects EVERYONE WILL FACE in the coming decades. The Cool Assassins series describes sensible strategies for individuals and communities to avoid the worst calamities in the last quarter of the 21st-century.

 

Do I think any nations will take such good advice? Not in a million years. So these sensible methods and strategies will be all the more vital for folks living fifty, sixty and seventy years from now.’

 

It’s certainly a tricky subject to tackle, so how about feedback from his readers – does he read reviews and if so, how have they been received?

‘My books have been well accepted for the most parts. Yet I must deal with Climate Change deniability. Many folks cannot imagine how bad it will get in 50 years, so they question my innovative approach to personal self-esteem and social justice. As the weather and environment worsen, more folks will agree that major changes must take place.’

 

What does he mean by social justice?

‘It implies freedom of choice: adequate housing and access to healthy foods. Self-esteem grows if individuals pursue healthy lifestyles. I've focused on physical prowess as a basic requirement for sane minds.’

 

He talks about climate deniers too - does he have any views on why people think this way?  

‘Popular media has and is avoiding the facts about Climate Change. Weather events are going to be far worse than anyone can imagine. In many places like India or Texas, the summer temperatures will get too hot for jetliners to take off. By 2070, hundreds of millions of humans will starve because agribusiness won't be able to produce enough food to feed everyone.

 

No one can predict the future. Much will depend on the choices we make now and in the coming decades. Judging from the past and current trends, I suspect the earth will be in much worse shape than is described in Cool Assassins. I doubt there will be off-earth colonization. Nor will there be solar collecting beamer satellites that produce 35% of earth's energy budget. Instead, we'll experience droughts, floods, monster storms and famines on a global scale. Such a future is corroborated by thousands of informed scientists.’

 

Gosh, it’s such an important subject and I suspect it’s going to take brave authors like John, using their craft to get people talking about the issue. What would John consider his writing-career highs and lows?  

‘Highs: COVID19 inspired a great increase in eBook sales. Lows: Long months where there is little or no activity on my sales pages.’

Aw, perhaps some of you will give his work a try and reduce those months of sales inactivity! If he could go back in time and talk to himself at the start of his career, what would he say?

‘I'd probably should've joined more writers' groups and gotten better advice about how to proceed. What happened was that I delved in blind, but now I am rising the surface and smartening up.’

 

Fascinating, so what does he consider the most common trap for an aspiring writer?  

‘New writers must recognize that that today is a buyers' market. Printed words are going obsolete, becoming drowned by zillions of eBooks and audiobooks. It's hard to create a brand in this environment. Think long-term and find other ways to make a living besides writing.’

 

Good advice – what would he do for work, if he didn’t write?  

‘I'm semi-retired, so without writing I'd become addicted to streaming sports and movies.’

 

I think we should keep John busy writing! If you’d like to find out more about his work, please click onto his links below:

Website: https://www.psignologic.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnSpeikers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JOQauthor
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/J.-O.-Quantaman/e/B00TVT9638
 

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Sneaky peek at interview with J.O. Quantaman

My next author interview is with novelist J.O. Quantaman who has written four novels, spanning the genres of futuristic history, martial arts, coming of age, PTSD and social issues. 

We chat about his work and the challenges of setting stories against a future where climate change has ravaged the world.

Our interview goes live on the 1st November but if you'd like to know more about him, please visit his links below:

Website: https://www.psignologic.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnSpeikers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JOQauthor
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/J.-O.-Quantaman/e/B00TVT9638
 

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