MEGAN LINSKI AUTHOR INTERVIEW
And as promised yesterday. here is the author interview :P !!
Here
is an interview with Megan Linski, author of the new fantasy romance novel, Fallen
From Ashes
Describe
your story.
Fallen From Ashes is a mixture of Aladdin and 1001
Arabian Nights, with themes such as equality for women and staying faithful to
your true love, no matter what the cost.
What
inspired you to write Fallen From
Ashes?
Fallen From Ashes is the sequel to Kingdom
From Ashes,
#1 in the Kingdom Saga. When Kingdom from
Ashes came
out, I got such a high demand for a sequel that I knew I had to get right on
making another story in The Kingdom Saga for my readers to explore.
What
makes a story great, in your eyes?
I
believe you have to have something different in your book that’s unique to you,
and you have to stand for something. The books that mean the most and create
the most change in the world aren’t afraid of making a statement and not
pleasing people. They’re not afraid to be bold, and I try to do the same thing
in my writing.
Where
do you live? Did your hometown influence your story?
My
hometown is pretty small and boring, so to create the exotic, adventurous
desert of Sahrahn (where The Kingdom Saga is set) became an escape for my
readers and for me.
How
long did it take to write Fallen From
Ashes?
Kingdom From Ashes took nearly three years from start to
finish. By drastic contrast, I wrote Fallen
from Ashes
in ten days and took a month to edit and revise.
Who
is your cover artist and editor?
I
have two editors: Sam McClure from Resolution Edits, and Thalia Smithingell,
who works for me under my company, Gryfyn Publishing. My cover artist is the
amazing Clarissa Yeo of Yocla Designs.
What
have you learned while writing and publishing?
Before
I started I thought I had a great plan and knew everything about marketing, but
it turns out I didn’t know anything. Things that I’ve really worked hard on
haven’t really panned out, and other things that I’ve ignored have ended up
exploding my book’s visibility on Amazon. This is why it’s important to read
marketing books and know how to get your product out there. A good one to start
with is Write. Publish. Repeat.
What
helped you when you got discouraged along the way?
When
readers asked for a sequel to Kingdom From
Ashes, I
had absolutely nothing. No plot, no outline, not even an idea of where I wanted
to go. I sat down and didn’t let myself get up until I had an outline. The
Kingdom Saga requires a lot of research, because it takes place in an ancient
Arabic society, so I did that as I went along and made sure to stick as close
to Middle Eastern folklore as possible. I just had a fire lit underneath me,
and I didn’t let myself stop. Now that I’m working on #3, that fire is gone and
it’s a lot harder to keep writing, but I’m forcing myself through it and not
allowing myself to quit, which makes all the difference in the world. When you
stop making excuses and start expecting results of yourself, magic happens.
What
would you do differently on the next book?
I
would treat myself better! My work ethic when it comes to writing is absolutely
crazy. It’s not uncommon for me to be icing my hands and wrapping my wrists
late at night after I’m done writing. With Fallen, it took only ten days to write, and I
didn’t plan it that way. I simply went crazy and wrote as much as I could. I
personally think it’s one of the best books I’ve ever written, but when I was
finished I was shaking and on the verge of vomiting. I really need to take
better care of my temple, otherwise I won’t be able to produce!
Best
piece of advice for first time writers?
Stop
making excuses and do what you want to do! You’re wasting time and money
waiting for the right time or the right opportunity to go ahead and do
something. You can always fix mistakes later, but if you wait too long, you’ll
miss your chance. One of my biggest mistakes was not publishing in 2011 like I
wanted to during the indie boom and waiting until 2014. I lost precious time
and sales because I was waiting around until things were perfectly in place,
until I accepted the fact they never were going to be.
Before
you publish, though, go ahead and read every single book on writing and
marketing that you can. You need to accumulate as much knowledge as possible
before you go into publishing. The more you know, the less difficult things
will be later.
Another
thing: successful people network and know a lot of other people! You may
complain that it’s not fair and your career shouldn’t be like high school, but
the more popular you are and the more friends (READERS) you have, the more
successful you will be. Most authors are natural introverts, and I am
definitely not the most social person, but if your book really means the world
to you then you will find a way to get yourself out there and make some
acquaintances. It may seem unfair, but nobody is going to find you if you’re
underneath a rock. Posting your book everywhere, paying for lots of advertisements
and spamming people doesn’t work. Making connections and lasting friendships
does.
Where
can readers find you?
What are you planning to publish next?
I’m currently working on Redemption From Ashes, #3 in The Kingdom Saga!
You can find Fallen From Ashes here! :
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