We’re now full throttle into the
holiday season, and I’d thought I’d share an interview I did with my Canadian publisher,
Lacey Bakker, who owns
Pandamonium
Publishing House, and just celebrated their 10th Anniversary
this past October. Woohoo! Congratulations to Lacey, and all the authors and
staff for this amazing accomplishment! This interview was originally done live
on Instagram, so below is the transcript. Enjoy…
1) When you started writing Lost and Found, did you
immediately know you were going to write a series or did that happen later in
your process?
You know, I thought I might be
writing a series with the same group of characters, but the original idea took
a turn for the better. I wrote Blackflies
and Blueberries first, which was inspired by my experience as a tutor for
the Muskoka Literacy Council, and a real-life psychometrist who my daughter personally
knew. I was going to play off this series (think like Nancy Drew or the Hardy
Boys). Then, I got a job at the local animal shelter, and everything came
together. This was the book that needed to go first in the series, needed to be
told, and comes from my heart.
2) Why did you choose to set multiple stories in the
same town, and what makes Fairy Falls special as a backdrop for your stories?
This town is really the attraction
of the series, and the glue that connects all the stories. Fairy Falls seems to
bring out the latent or dormant psychic abilities in the relocated teen
characters of each book. There’s a reason for that, which I explain more in the
third installment, Sticks & Stones.
Let’s just say that the Druids who founded Fairy Falls in the 1800s had
something to do with harnessing the power that lies underneath this quiet
tourist town.
My intention for this series is to
pass the baton to a new generation who are more plugged in or in tuned with
their intuitive and psychic abilities. It’s kind of like ripping the veil away
from what’s been there all along.
3) Animals play a huge role in your first book. How do
you capture their personalities so vividly, and are any based on pets or
experiences from your own life?
Actually, I based all the animal
characters in Lost & Found from
my job as an animal care attendant, and searched for any small quirks in their
personalities to create the unique furry characters you see in my book. While
tending to the animals at the shelter, I found myself wondering what they’d
say? How would they act and sound? What did they really think of humans? So,
chasing down the animal voices frolicking in my head, I wrote their story.
4) If you suddenly had a psychic
power from one of your characters for a day, which one would
you pick and what
would you do first?
Oh, that’s easy! I’d love to
communicate with animals like Meagan does. I know it’s an attainable skill if
you study under someone who teaches this ability. Maybe one day, I may take the
course and see what materializes.
As for what I’d do first? Be of
service to a local animal shelter. I’d read as many of the animals’ energies as
I could. I’d try to bring some comfort, healing or peace to them, and find out how
they came to arrive at the shelter. I’ve seen so many stressed out or fearful
animals, it may help to walk in their paws, and see how I can help them adjust
to a situation they did not ask for.
5) Your books feature such distinct characters. Do you
start with the story first or the characters, and how do you bring them to life
on the page?
Both, actually. The seed idea comes
from either an experience – like the animal shelter or being a tutor for
literacy – and then the characters arrive, ready to go, and let their story be
told. I used to live in cottage country, so I had the perfect backdrop and
experiences for the series. I do have a rough idea of the story, and where it’s
going, but it is a process, and sometimes those characters can take over and
run the show.
Bringing characters to life is
actually easy for me. However, put them in with other characters, and you need
to make each voice unique and believable. So, I give my characters’ flaws, challenges,
and adversities in their day to day lives. These are the traits readers need to
connect with, feel their pain, and relate to, or you’ve lost the point of
telling a story.
6) Do you have any unique habits, rituals, or quirky
tricks to get into the “zone” when writing your books?
A dram of scotch. Just kidding. I
used to light a stick of incense before I sat down to write, but my hubby
complained of the smell. LOL! I still do it when I can, and sage my room once a
week when I’m in the writing mode. Call me eccentric or call me a witch. Either
way, I’m good with that. Calling in any angelic or esoteric help works for me
too.
7) What’s the strangest or most random source of
inspiration that ever sparked a scene, character, or book idea?
A dream gave me the idea for the first
young adult series I created which I called The Last Timekeepers. However, for Lost & Found, it was a cat we had
named Shadow who set the stage for the lunging scene in the book. Trust me,
when you need to use welding gloves to transfer a cat from a dirty cage to a
clean one, your anxiety level goes ballistic. Another scene that comes to mind is
getting revenge on my son’s then-girlfriend by, let’s just say, getting
baptized by a murder of crows. It was so satisfying to write!
In Blackflies & Blueberries, the strange dome-like house that the
main character’s great aunt lives in, is a source of inspiration because it was
a real cottage on the lake where we used to live. Life imitates art, right?
8) If someone is curious about starting a series or
writing their first novel, what’s one piece of advice you wish someone had
given you?
That the whole writing process is a
journey, not a destination. Cliché, but true. Whether you’re writing a series
or a trilogy or a stand-alone novel, be in it for the long haul. Book series
could take you well over two decades or more. Trilogies, maybe one decade or
more. Even that stand-alone novel could take you years to write, depending on
the genre and research needed to fill its pages. Check in with yourself every
so often by revamping your writing plans, getting real about what kind of
writer you want to be, and how to show up in the world. Remember that slow and
steady progress assures success, and to be your authentic self. Always.
If these books piqued your interest
or you know of a reader in your life who’d love to dive into this series, and
discover Fairy Falls for themselves, please check out the links provided.
Welcome to Fairy Falls. Expect the unexpected.
Mysterious
Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mystery Series:
Lost & Found, Book One Buy
Links:
PANDAMONIUM
PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES
& NOBLE
׀
Blackflies
& Blueberries, Book Two Buy
Links:
PANDAMONIUM
PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES
& NOBLE
׀
Wishing
you and your family a safe and happy holiday season. Cheers, and thanks for reading
my blog! You can connect with me, learn about my books, grab some free
downloads for a short story, writing tips, or fun family recipes at my website:
www.sharonledwith.com
