First off, Emily, please tell me the last thing you ate, and what you are wearing on your feet. ;)
The last thing I ate was a samoa cookie and I have nothing on my feet! :D
Lol, Samoas are delish!What can you tell me about who your MC (main character) is?
My main character is a twenty-year-old girl named Heaven Cassidae and living in the foster care system her entire life, she's learned simply to take care of herself.
What is the story about and is there something you would like people to take away from reading your story?
The short answer is that it's about a girl who becomes a queen and how doing the right thing is important even if it seems like a very little thing.
What I want my readers to take away from this book is a healthy dose of courage. Courage to do the right thing, courage in the face of loss, courage to face life because life is hard sometimes.
That's a good lesson to learn. Sometimes it is the most mundane of situations or the smallest of persons who can make the biggest difference. Where does it take place?
This you will have to read the book to find out! Though the book begins in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. This book is portal fantasy.
What influences are a part of your story? I'm wondering what cultures and people give shape to your story, to give us an idea of what inspires you. :) Can you share with us any fun facts sprinkled within the story?
The two main cultures in the book were very loosely based on Nordic and Greek cultures. As for people and experiences, take your pick. Everything I see and do filters into how I write.
All the musician stuff in the book is 100% accurate. If not from personal experience, it's drawn from family or friends in the professional music world. Also, the songs she plays are fun to look up. Most or all of them can be found on YouTube. And last, the very first paragraph and the very last paragraph have not changed since the first draft when I wrote those words by hand in a notebook.
Do you have a character who was easiest for you to write, or who you related to them most?
Nic Thorsen was probably the easiest. I am not sure that I relate to him a ton (yet we do have some similarities in personality) but he was just one of those characters that takes care of everything on the page and you don't have to do too much to the character. They just show up.
"They just show up,"- I so love it when that happens! It is a great and rare feeling and these characters are the most fun to work with. On the opposite side of the coin, which character was the most difficult to write or that you least related to, and why?
This may come as a surprise to those of you who have read the book, but Athen Stellanos was very hard. I don't think I got him right until the very last draft. He was too nice and because of that I simply couldn't make his character strong enough. But then I finally understood what made him tick.
Wow! That is a surprise. I enjoyed Athen in the story. Are you a plotter or a pantser? ;) (For those of you who don't write, a plotter is someone who plans very carefully every step and typically uses a strong outline before writing. Pantsers "fly by the seat of their pants" to write, using instinct or intuition first, and then editing the plot later. You would be surprised at how many authors do quite well on this second method, as wild as it may sound! Brian Jacques, author of the entire Redwall series and The Flying Dutchman was a true pantser.)
I call myself a solid plantser. I tend more towards the pantser side, but I usually have to have a vague idea of where I'm heading first.
Is there a verse that has encouraged you on this writing journey that you would like to share?
There were many, but on thinking of it, Psalm 16:5-6 really spoke to me in the process because it helped me get my eyes off of the small picture and remember what was truly important.
"The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant plances; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance." (Psalm 16:5-6, ESV) What a beautiful reminder of His care for us! I can see why this was special to you.
Is a sequal planned or is this a standalone (for those who have not read your story, can they expect a closed ending or an open one?)
There is no sequel planned. This book is a standalone. However, I am already working on my next book to be published, so if you liked Crowning Heaven keep your eyes out!
Now for a fun question! Are you Castellani or Rodhacarian?
I am very Rodhacarian, though I have some Castellani qualities.
(Scroll down for a quiz to find out if you are Rodhacarian or Castellani!)
Is you could pick one dish from the books, which would it be?
Oh that is hard. I love food. There's a drink in it called Fraeth, and I've made a version of it before and it's really, really good.
We would love to hear how you made it sometime! Thanks so much for allowing me to do this interview with you, it was great fun!
If you would like to read Crowning Heaven (and I suggest you do!), you can purchase it from Amazon, and also leave a small review there when you're done, and on Goodreads, too. The best way to you support your favorite authors is to share and review. She can also be found on Facebook.
If you're interested, here is a little quiz to find out if you are Rodhacarian or Castellani. If you have more 1's, you are Rodhacarian, but if you have more 2's, you are a Castellani.
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