New Author Interview: Tahani Nelson

This week for my author interview, I decided to interview someone I have met via social media who writes fantasy like myself. She has 2 books out in her series. The Second book just came out not too long ago. May I present Tehani Nelson:

What inspired you to write?

I’ve always loved reading, but I never really felt like classic fantasy offered enough of the heroines I wanted to follow. I wanted strong, amazing women leading armies. I was tired of damsels in distress and bikini mail. I was tired of love triangles and watching romance take center stage. So, I started writing the women I wanted to see. I started crafting matriarchal societies where girls are raised to forge their own swords rather than to wait for a glass slipper. I wasn’t afraid to hold back from gruesome, epic battle scenes and true military fantasy just because there was a woman at the helm. Apparently, I wasn’t the only person craving that world, because my readers have really responded well to the books so far.

Are you a reader? What are some of your favorites?

I love reading, and while I write fantasy, most of my favorite books are in other genres. Fahrenheit 451 will probably always be my favorite book, and I read it a couple times each year. I also love To Kill a Mockingbird. I think I’ve read Beowulf more times than any other book, however. Probably because it’s such a short read. But I love the poetic language of the poem and the use of kennings. Plus, there’s a dragon.

What is your newest work, and what is going to happen in the future?

I just put out Faoii Betrayer, the second full-length novel in the Faoii Chronicles. It’s been doing really well, and I’m glad I got to explore a more urban side of Imeriel. It also drew a lot of influence from modern issues, and I think it was important to explore those issues in a different light.

I’m currently working on Faoii Ascended, the last of the trilogy, but I also have another Faoii short story coming out in an anthology later this year. Passageways will be a collection of short stories from Indie authors, with each tale taking place in a unique universe. It’s a great chance to get a glimpse at 10 unique literary worlds without diving into a full novel or series. My story “The Teeth of Justice” gives the first look at Faoii outside of Imeriel.

Do you have advice or tips for Indie Authors?

Don’t compare yourself to other authors. There will ALWAYS be someone who writes more than you each day or who makes more sales or who found a better agent or who can spend more on ads. There will ALWAYS be people who seem like they’re doing better than you are, and it’s discouraging. So the best thing I know how to teach you is this: Don’t compare yourself to them. Compare yourself to YOU. Look at the You from 5 years ago. How proud would they be of what you’ve accomplished? How much have you learned since then? How amazed do you think current you would be if you could see where you’ll be in 5 years? Focus on that. There are MILLIONS of books out in the world. Thousands more are being published each week. It is so easy to get lost in that literary sea. So create your rock now. Remember where you’ve started and how far you’ve come. No matter how much it might feel like you’re drowning, you’ll always have that to come back to in order to ground yourself.

What influenced you as a writer?

I take a lot of influence from the world around me. Even if I don’t mean for it to happen, I draw heavily on current events and social issues, and they find their ways into the Faoii Chronicles. But that’s good. Literature should be a reflection of the world. It needs to be relatable and realistic, even if it’s Fantasy. The best way to do that is to draw from what you know and see.

Do you prefer a normal book or ebook?

I mostly read paperbacks, but I don’t have any sort of aversion to ebooks. I don’t know why so many people loft one above the other. Let people read in whatever manner suits them. In a society where reading is becoming less and less common, how dare we decry any version of it out of some misplaced sense of superiority. Reading expands your mind. Who cares how the new thoughts get into your head? This applies to audiobooks, too. The world needs to stop looking down on other people over arbitrary things. Books are books are books. The Faoii Chronicles are available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook. They’re available on KU and Audible. No version is inherently better or worse than any of the others. Just read because you love the story. Pick whichever medium brings you the most convenience and joy.

R.L. Wood–Author Interview

What inspired you to write?

Almost everything inspires me to write if I have that part of my brain switched on and I’m not rushing to pay bills or some similar predicament. Couldn’t you just make up a story about anything? I used to tell my kids stories about gnomes hiding under air conditioning unit covers as we walked along city sidewalks to the park, or the giant rock we just passed on the hiking trail was Hag’s Rock from a story we made up about a witch, and I would tell them the fluffy white seeds floating in the air were the fairies planting bunny seeds. The best part was to have the kids watching for bunnies to pop out of the ground, and wouldn’t you know it, I lucked out and we caught a glimpse of a bunny coming from the edge of the woods and fooled them little buggers into thinking the seeds actually worked! I paid for that one, however, they brought seed pods home one day and made a mess. No worries though, the kids loved our storytimes. They helped add on to the stories, and we would have a great time.

Are you a reader? What are some of your favorites?

I do like to read. I used to never watch television unless it was the History Channel. But lately, I’ve gotten addicted to streaming instead of reading. I think that’ll change. I love all kinds of Fantasy: Medieval, Supernatural, and Occult to name a few. I’m a kid at heart so it has to be light on the romance and not too scary.

What is your newest work, and what is going to happen in the future?

I am currently working on promoting my debut book, “Dark Little Women: Girl Power while images of Book 2: Mirrors or Out of Looking Glass” haunt my thoughts. I haven’t made up my mind on the subtitle just yet. Maybe after my family reads my manuscript, I’ll let them choose. In the future “Dark Little Women: Book 2” will show up on Amazon fairly quickly because I despise marketing.

Do you have advice or tips for Indie Authors?

Don’t do it. If you do, get professional help. I’m kidding! But seriously, if you don’t already have a social media following, it can be a lot of work to market yourself. Or it will cost some money to get some help with marketing. Since we can’t all afford that, you can get a lot of help just talking to other Indie Authors you could follow on social media platforms and who are willing to give you some tips. Such as before you publish, get used to social media, and get some followers. Build up the book release. Don’t hesitate to call Amazon or wherever you’re publishing for help assigning genre and subcategories. Most importantly, it’s all about the story. If you have a great story to tell. Tell it! For the love of God, do not fall for the trap of finicky editing and stunt yourself. It has forced me to write everything in a notebook by hand before typing it up because I’m so worried about what Renni Browne had to say or other worse editors and publishers who think you may only say “said” after a quote. Well, Lady, maybe she YELLED it? I’d rather read a great story with a few grammatical errors than a cra**y story with all the T’s crossed.

What influenced you as a writer?

This particular book “Dark Little Women” was influenced by one of my family members who read a previous manuscript and complained, “I thought this was going to be about the girl?” She didn’t know it at the time, but I was building up to the girl. Lots of things have influenced my writing this book, such as the lack of strong female characters. I detest romance novels for this. I don’t know if they have changed in recent years, but it is one reason why I will not read them. The lack of anything else to do at the moment would be another reason I’m focusing on publishing now. Otherwise, I’d be busy doing something else like entertaining the kids with more tales. Which is also in my Amazon Author Bio. It all boils down to there’s nobody here… echo!

Do you prefer a normal book or ebook?

I would much prefer to have a nice, fat paperback book in my hands, honestly.

Amazon Link:

Author Interview–Cully Mack

Tell me about yourself, and what got you into writing?

My name is Cully and I’m from England. I love dogs, wildlife photography, and long walks.

I write epic fantasy with romance! Think epic battles with Immortals and beasts of all kinds, throw in some elemental magic, huge plot twists, portals and unique worlds and an ever-growing amount of characters trying to save their world. If you like character-driven fantasy, you’ll love my books. I warn you now; I don’t go easy on them…I began writing because my mother joined a creative writing class and I asked if I could go with her. I loved it so much, I quit my job and went back to university to study English Literature and Creative Writing. I haven’t looked back, and what I’ve learned most in my life is to follow your dreams.

What inspired you to write?

I’ve always loved the fantasy genre, and I have a keen interest in mythology. I decided to merge the two.

I’m very interested in the oldest mythological texts (think pre Greek & Roman). My Voice that Thunders series is filled with ancient myth, the kind that is buried in soul waiting to be reawakened.My writing is motivated by creating new worlds and in depth characters to live in them. I love how characters grow and overcome the challenges they face. I love plot twists! Being a discovery writer, my characters often surprise me and lead me into territory I wasn’t expecting to go.

Are you a reader? What are some of your favorites?

My earliest childhood memories involve reading. I don’t think I’ve lived a day without diving into a book. My favourite genres are epic & high fantasy (although I read many others). I often like a good romantic subplot, but not always. Some of my favourite authors are Robert Jordan, Raymond Feist, Brent Weeks, Brandon Sanderson, Jay Kristof and Patrick Rothfuss.

More recently I have been reading YA/NA and I like Sarah J Maas, Raye Wagner and Jennifer Armentrout.

What is your newest work, and what is going to happen in the future?

My latest work is book three in my Voice that Thunders series. It’s called, A Fire That Whispers.

Mirah is an elemental wielder whose extraordinary magic has proved too powerful for the Immortal Watchers to ignore. Captured, they demand she destroys their portals. If she yields, it will trap her friends in the immortal realm forever.

Book two, A Scream that Shatters, ended on a such a huge cliff hanger, I was keen to release this book quite soon after. So much is going on! No one knows what is real. I love how the reader can decipher the truth along with the characters. And boy, what a shocker the truth reveals! I really enjoyed writing this book.

I have just release a free prequel called, Sojin. It is about Ammo and Sojin and is set before A Voice That Thunders begins. You can find it here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/biu92oaavb

In the near future, book four, A Vow That Clashes is due for release around Sept/Oct 2020. It runs parallel to A fire Whispers but focuses on other exciting characters.

Next year, I plan to finish the final book in this series. I also plan to publish a collection of fairytale and myth retellings. I’m already considering my next series, which will be about Fae.

Do you have advice or tips for Indie Authors?

Don’t quit! It’s really hard sometimes. Writing can be isolating, and sometimes you wonder if anyone even reads/enjoys your work. Reviews help a lot. A well-timed review has saved my sanity more than once when I’ve been second guessing myself.

Hold on to your dreams! Believe in yourself and stay true to your vision. So much will come your way and try to shake you, hold on. Quitters never make it.

If I was to start over, I’d start with a shorter book, a stand-a-lone or a prequel and get myself known a little before plunging right into everything.

What influenced you as a writer?

I’ve been influenced by many things and it changes depending on what I’m writing. I’m a discovery writer, so I don’t always know until the words form themselves on the page.

I tend to know certain plot points, for example, I knew Mirah needed to reach Hermonial because I wanted a character close to the antagonist.

My start point was her on the ship, so I just started to write her journey and added in conflict. I love how characters grow and overcome challenges. I love plot twists!

Do you prefer a normal book or ebook?

I always preferred a normal book, but now I find it easier to see text in a larger print. I still prefer the feel of a book and to know how many pages I have left in that world, but due to my eyesight, I read more ebooks. If I like them enough, I buy the print copies.

https://www.amazon.com/Cully-Mack/e/B07QBLXZLT/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1https://www.facebook.com/CullyMack/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19033629.Cully_Mack

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