Recently, I was
cornered, er asked to have a chit-chat with Mirror World Publishing’s
promotional specialist, Rhiannon Lotze. Though this interview appeared on their
blog at the end of February 2024, I thought it would be appropriate to share
this Q&A with my readers on the Victoria Day holiday here in Canada. So, if
you’re opening the cottage, setting up your trailer at the campground, or in
your backyard garden getting your hands dirty, take a break, grab a chair and
your favourite beverage, then relax to find out what the next chapter of my
author life looks like in the near future. Cheers, and enjoy the grilling…
Most
authors are also avid readers. Would you also consider yourself to be an avid
reader? What was the first book you remember that you couldn’t put down?
Actually, no. I’m a slow reader, so it takes a lot of time for me to read, say
a 300-page book. So, I select my books wisely – sometimes buying them ahead of
time for research purposes – or what other readers have recommended. The first
book I couldn’t put down? Hmm. Hard question! I’d have to say the time travel
romance, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon,
where I paced myself every night, and absorbed the story in my own time. Pun
intended.
What would you say were your first early
experiences that showed you the power of language and writing?
In high school, a girlfriend of mine had a way with words. Even when she wrote
a letter or poem, she chose her words carefully, and from the heart. I wished I
could write like that; to easily articulate stories or poems like she did. It
took quite a few years for me to jump into the writing pool and try my hand at
writing a book, but I got up the courage in my mid-thirties, and took that leap
of faith.
Finding time to write can be a struggle for plenty
of authors. How do you maximize your writing time? What would you consider
“maximization” when it comes to your particular style of writing?
I’ve been retired for over twenty years, so I plan my days where I’m either
writing or editing or creating a blog post or ad blurb. I find scheduling my
writing time in a day planner helps tremendously. When I first started writing
(mid 90s), I used to drop my son off at school, then go home and hone my craft
on the days I was off from working at our graphic trade business.
To be honest, I do have a problem
with ‘maximization’, as I attend to checking emails, sharing author friends’
posts, and promoting my books first, before I sit down and actually write in
the day. Guess I’d better revisit my priorities! LOL! I’m a very intuitive
plotter with a touch of the methodical thrown into the mix. So, even if I plot out
a book, my muse eventually hijacks the story, and takes me in another
direction. Gotta love when that happens!
Do you normally think of the plot first or the
characters first? Can you describe your process for developing the stories you
write?
I think of both, actually. Presently, I’m writing two young adult book series
with Mirror World Publishing. The Last Timekeepers time travel adventures
include the same cast of main characters, though the POV switches with each
book. My other series, Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, are stand-alone books
with a different psychic teen solving a mystery in the small tourist town of
Fairy Falls. Though, each character from my teen psychic mysteries makes a
cameo in the next book, the story focuses on the new character and the
challenges she or he face possessing a psychic ability. It’s quite exciting and
fun to keep those characters moving forward.
I’m a very organized person, so I
planned each book out for both book series, and created a master list. It’s
quite fluid, so if something changes, or I get a better idea for a title or
premise of each book, I can easily add or change it in the documents. When I’m
ready to sit down and plot out the next book in the queue, I pull out my
character tracking sheets, a pad of lined paper, and get to work developing the
story. There’s a lot of research involved in both series, so I make sure I’ve
got most of the information needed before I start. If it sounds like a lot of
work, it is, but the end results are so rewarding!
What are three things you must have in your
writing space to stay focused?
Single Malt Scotch. LOL! Kidding. Definitely a bottle of water (or sometimes a
tea or coffee depending on the time of day). My office door must be shut (I
like quiet when I write). And a few healthy snacks in my desk drawer like
almonds or walnuts, and a bar of dark chocolate. Face it. When you’re hungry,
your mind is not focused on your story. Wink.
How often do you take risks in your writing? Have
you ever tried something risky that turned out really well or really poorly?
I don’t take too many risks, but I’ve changed directions in where I want to
take both my series. I’ve always included characters with diverse ethnic backgrounds
and cultures, as well as feature characters with different gender identities.
This is our world now, and I love the cornucopia of expressions offered by each
and every one of my characters who can shine their own light in a sometimes
harsh and dark world. Risk comes with rewards, so even sitting at my keyboard
and writing something completely out of my comfort zone is a risk I’m willing
to take. Whether it ends really well or really poorly, I’m more concerned with
getting the message out of my bones, and onto the screen or paper. It’s so
cathartic.
If there’s one thing you could change in the
publishing industry, what would it be?
The ridiculous amount of book marketing authors must do. LOL! No
seriously. It’s crazy!
You enjoy writing about topics that revolve around
things like mysteries and legends and the arcane, just to name a few. What
topic or theme would you like to explore in your magnum opus?
I’m working up to that with the two book series I have on the go. Once they’re
finished, I want to develop a trilogy based on how humanity is growing and
evolving, and what’s next for us. I’ve actually written ideas and book titles
for this magnum opus, and hope I live
long enough to breathe life into this unique creative endeavor. Fingers
crossed!
Writing is a craft that is typically learned and
honed over many years of practice. If you could pick one famous author (dead or
alive) to mentor you, who would it be?
Wow, tough question! You know, I would love to be mentored by Rick Riordan, who’s
created this whole mythical universe of characters and their stories, and has
an enterprise based on his book series that’s geared for middle grade and young
adult readers. Love the humour and wit he injects in all of his books. Plus, he
has an ‘in’ with the Disney Corporation. Sign me up!
How would you define success as a writer?
That I basically learned the craft of writing a novel from the ground up. It
took fifteen years of practice, patience, and perseverance to actually get my
first book published. Truthfully, many people would have given up. Writing is
not only an investment in yourself, it’s an investment in your readers. It’s a
process that you have to LOVE, no matter what. So, just showing up for myself
as a writer, getting the work done, and believing in my ultimate goal of reaching
readers throughout the world is success to me. The gravy part of this journey
is creating long term relationships with those readers, and getting paid for
just being me.
Do you have anything else to add?
First, I want to thank you
for interrogating, er I mean interviewing me, Rhiannon. Your questions are all
thought-provoking and insightful. I just have an update in my writing world.
Shortly, I’ll be submitting the third installment of Mysterious Tales of Fairy
Falls titled, Stick and Stones, for
publication in 2025. It’s about fourteen-year-old Thane Berg, who’s been
forced to live with his estranged father in Fairy Falls, and how he deals with
his unique gift of psychokinesis (the ability to move objects and bend metals). Then, it’s on to book four
of my time travel saga, The Last
Timekeepers and the Reluctant Scribe, which will feature Treena Mui’s POV.
There’s gonna be a lot of research for this tale, with tons of twists,
entanglements, and of course my brand of humour. Stay tuned, and happy reading,
everyone!
