Author Interview: Judy Lynn

Join us today as we interview Judy Lynn, author of our newest book: Veil of Deceit

(Note: Veil of Deceit is no longer published with Authors 4 Authors Publishing. We encourage your continued support of Judy and you can look for updates on her work through her Twitter.)

Judy, thanks for joining us today! Why don’t we dive right in? What inspired you to write Veil of Deceit?

Some writers can give you some long flowery description of why they write and why they chose a particular story...I’m not one of them. This is a question I’ve been dreading since I sent the story to publication, because I really don’t have an answer except to say that it’s the story that came into my head, so it’s the story I wrote...and rewrote...and in the case of some chapters, rewrote again.

Don’t worry, I’m sure a lot of people dread being asked that question, as well as this next one: are there any themes, symbols, or motifs in your story?

I guess you could say the theme of rooting out corruption is there. But please, don’t look for any connection to real life. It is a purely fictional story in a fictional future world.

I’ve never been big on symbolism (you can ask my high school English teacher if you have any doubt of that). Everything is as it’s described. No deeper meanings.

I would say that getting justice is a big them for you. I’ve got my own, but tell me, who is your favorite character?

Either Craig or Ethan. Both are honorable men who do what needs to be done. Both are dating strong women, and neither are intimidated by them. They care enough to protect, without being overbearing. My goodness, did I write the same character twice? *sigh* Well, there’s always Book Two, right?

It is really important in fiction to see strong female characters with men who appreciate their strength rather than resent it. Your world is set partially in space and partially on Earth, so how did you craft your world as a whole?

I made it up as I went along. I’m not one for planning ahead (at least not for my writing). It requires more editing to make sure things remain consistent, and I’ll need beta readers for the next one who have read Veil of Deceit to make sure I stay consistent. But the world develops as  the characters encounter problems and need solutions to those problems (or to make things more interesting for the reader, more obstacles to turn little problems into big ones).

Ah, you’re a pantser, then. A lot of great authors are, though. How did you decide on a setting? Is it based off of anywhere you’ve been in real life?

Every city visited in Veil of Deceit that is on earth is a real city, though not all the military bases are. Some of the cities I’ve been to, some I haven’t. But even those I have, there is very little that I pictured as a real place. The one exception would be seeing Alcatraz in the middle of San Francisco Bay.  There are certainly some very real environments that I enjoy, however. I love camping, and Lake Tahoe is beautiful for it. I love the west coast, and I think my love for the outdoors is reflected in Jayla, even though it’s not a prominent theme.

The only off-world city that’s named has a significance to the name. I’m wondering if any readers will pick up on it.

I’m sure they’ll keep an eye out for it after that answer! Were there any SciFi writers whoinspired your desire to write in the genre?

I love Star Trek. Not every incarnation of it, mind you, but I’ve seen every episode of TNG, DS9, and Voyager. I think that’s where my love for SciFi started. Any space stories, most tech stories. It’s too many to narrow it down to say what specifically sparked the desire to write it.

Funny thing, the first novel I finished writing was fantasy, without much of a SciFi aspect. Yet, when I finished Veil of Deceit, it just “felt right” that my debut novel should be science fiction.

Star Trek has inspired a lot of people, not only in writing science fiction, but making futuristic technology a reality. I’m sure a lot of people will want to know: Who are your favorite authors?

UGH! Not a fair question! If I named one or two today, tomorrow I’d have a different answer for you. I loved the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne MacCaffery. I also love the literary fiction of Francine Rivers. It’s too hard to pick a favorite.

It is hard to pick a favorite, especially when you’re asked! Once the readers finish Veil of Deceit, I have no doubt they’ll be dying to get their hands on more of your fiction. What can we expect next from you?

I’ve finished the first book in the fantasy series Tribes of Chalent. Book two is going through a spit polish. Then I’ll be ready to focus on book three, which currently has a rough draft but has yet to see the light of day (by “light of day,” I mean wonderful critiquers for whom I’m so grateful).

Will Veil of Deceit have a sequel? You bet. It’s not nearing completion just yet, but it’s in the works.

Veil of Deceit

By Judy Lynn

Prisoner 7578359, Commander Jayla Sans, is innocent. Framed by her own godfather and convicted of treason, she’ll spend the rest of her days on the prison spaceship Tarsha—however few she has left. During her last investigation for the military, she found a vast and insidious conspiracy, and now various factions will kill to acquire or destroy the information in her head. Jayla must protect the truth at costs, even if that means severing ties with her loved ones. But is Jayla truly alone?

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Author Interview: Allie Mae

Today, we're hosting a writer from our online writing group, the Just-Us League! Allie Mae is one of many authors releasing a new fairy tale anthology, Fractured Ever After, full of fun fractured fairy tales.

Allie, welcome to the A4A blog! We can’t wait to hear about your part of Fractured Ever After. Tell me, what inspired you to write On the Wrong Foot?

I had so many ideas for fairy tales I wanted to fracture, but none of them seemed right when I sat down to work on them. So I went to my collection of fairy tales to get some inspiration, and as I was reading (I think it was “The Fisherman and his Wife”) I had this idea for a character in denial of reality. I applied the idea to a handful of fairy tales, and eventually settled on Cinderella because it is so well-known, and my idea relies heavily on the reader having knowledge of the tale.

Cinderella is definitely a well-known fairy tale! I can’t wait to see your twist. Who is your favorite character?

Definitely Charming! He was the best to write. His version of reality is so entertaining, and I loved putting it on the page.

Ooh, interesting! Was it fun making the prince a romantic instead of the Cinderella character? 

Absolutely! With Cinderella as a much more grounded character, I think it twists the fairy tale nicely. And with Charming’s unique personality, I could be as creative and ridiculous as I wanted! The contrast between the two is hysterical.

Sounds like a match! Now tell me, how did you decide on a setting? Is it based off of anywhere you’ve been in real life?

It’s a stereotypical fairy tale kingdom. Small and basic. I wanted it to be anywhere. The kingdom is literally named “Donia” so it would be generic.

I like having the setting basic so the characters really shine! But let’s move on—can you share some of your favorite authors?  

Shannon Hale, Rick Riordan, Brandon Mull, Jessica Day George… The list goes on and on!

I love most of them too! And before we go, what can we expect next from you?

Well, I’m currently in the process of querying my young adult fantasy novel, and while I’ve gotten a few rejections, I’m still waiting to hear back from some publishers. And I’m working on another short story that’s already under contract. Shh! It’s a secret!

Fractured Ever After: On the Wrong Foot 

By Allie Mae

What if the story of Cinderella was made up to cover the ridiculousness of the real history? When Prince Charlemagne, self-named Charming, forces the girl of his dreams out of the ball and keeps only her shoe as a clue, he realizes that creating a lasting love story isn’t as easy as it sounds.

As part of the Fractured Ever After blog tour, we're happy to give our readers the chance to win one of the following prizes:

Grand Prize (US only): Two Paperbacks (Fractured Ever After and Encircled), book cozy + shoe ornament, 3D-printed bookmark (pick one design), set of four signed illustration prints

First Prize (US only): Two Paperbacks (Fractured Ever After and Encircled), charm bracelet, 3D-printed bookmark (pick one design), set of four signed illustration prints

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Click here for a chance to win!

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Author Interview: William Justus

Join us today as we interview William Justus, author of our newest book: The Wind from Faerie.

(Note: The Wind from Faerie is no longer published with Authors 4 Authors Publishing. We encourage your continued support of William and you can look for updates on his work via his Twitter.)

Thanks so much for talking with us today. Let’s go ahead and dive right in: What inspired you to write The Wind from Faerie?

I’ve always been a huge fan of fairy tales and mythology, and writing fantasy has been a natural extension of the love I have for the genre. Prior to writing The Wind from Faerie, I made an attempt to write an Arthurian novel but wasn’t able to handle the subject as well as I would have liked.
I originally invented the world of Purovus for a Dungeons & Dragons game and eventually reached a sort of critical mass of potential with the world. It was simply ripe for a story, and I thought it would be fun to tell the tale of a great mage from beginning to end. Kellan was born from that impulse.

That makes a lot of sense for the story. Would you say that Kellan is more of a Lawful Good or a Chaotic Good? 

I think I’d say Chaotic Good because Kellan is dissatisfied with the class system in the Empire, so he isn’t a perfect citizen. His whole journey flies in the face of the cultural norm, and he does sow a little chaos wherever he goes.

I was leaning toward Chaotic Good myself. Tell me, are there any themes, symbols, or motifs in your story? 

I could probably write a small book on this question alone, which would absolutely ruin the novel itself. I’ve tried to weave a lot of threads into my story, many of which are allusions to mythology. As far as themes go, the idea that knowledge is powerful and dangerous without wisdom is one that the reader will see recurring throughout the series. I turned to nature again and again for its potent symbolism. Not only do my descriptions of nature set the mood for a scene, but they often foreshadow things to come.

“Knowledge is powerful and dangerous without wisdom” is definitely a sentiment that more people should appreciate. Let’s switch gears a little bit: who is your favorite character?

Master Galan has to be my favorite. I based him loosely on Merlin from T.H. White’s The Once and Future King, made famous by the Disney movie The Sword in the Stone. He’s so cooky and overlooked but has so much wisdom if you look for it. Master Galan’s understanding of the world goes beyond conventional wisdom, so he’s ostracized, but he’s completely unfazed by other people’s opinions. He’s very loveable in my eyes.

Master Galan was definitely a fun character. How did you craft your world? 

I started off wanting these separate biomes, so I knew that I would have to design a map on a continental scale. In order for there to be desert, forest, and tundra, there has to be a lot of land and quite a few mountain ranges. Then all the different cultures I’d invented needed to be provided with a liveable space, so that modified the concept a bit.
The cultures I invented grew from my love for Antiquity. Most fantasy novels are set in a pseudo-Medieval time period, but I wanted to do something new. The Halystrian Empire was originally conceived as a late Republican Rome, though heavily modified. Still, the time period I chose meant that the weapons, amenities, and architecture were all going to be different than what I’ve typically read.

I agree—it was nice to see a fantasy set in those parameters. Was it difficult abiding by all the rules of magic in your work?

The magic system isn’t too complex, so I didn’t find abiding by its laws very difficult. The limitations to Kellan’s magic definitely forced me to be more creative with its applications but were never a sticking point. When in doubt, I found that acting out a scene was immensely helpful. I’m very practiced in living room magic by now, and my lamps have learned to be very afraid indeed.

They’re quivering in their shades, I’m sure. How did you decide on a setting? Is it based off of anywhere you’ve been in real life?

The Halystrian Empire certainly has a Mediterranean influence that was particularly influenced by Rome. I was lucky enough to visit Rome in 2013. The memories of that trip have helped me to form an image of Parthicum. The Rhegian countryside was based on the rolling Owyhee Mountains in Idaho, a range which I see every morning.

It sounds like that trip really made an impact on you. As a lover of fantasy myself, I’ve got to ask: who are your favorite authors? 

J.R.R. Tolkien is undoubtedly my favorite author, but I also very much enjoy Patrick Rothfuss, Scott Lynch, and C.S. Lewis.

Those are some great authors that everyone should read at least once. Thanks again for talking with us today, but before we let you go we have one last question: what can we expect next from you?

I’m currently writing the sequel to The Wind from Faerie, which I have tentatively titled The Many Antlered Crown. The legend of Kellan the Fey will continue to grow and spread across Purovus, following wherever his adventures take him. Events will be set into motion that will shake the very foundations of the world, and I can’t wait to get this next book into the hands of my readers.

The Wind from Faerie

By William Justus

Kellan can only dream of a life without servitude, a life beyond the woods. And magic? That’s just a legend. But after he discovers a book of magic in his master’s library and begins to summon the power of wind, it becomes his obsession. When the emperor offers to test serfs for magical ability, it’s everything Kellan could ask for: a chance for an education, a chance to see the world, a chance for freedom.

At the Lyceum, he finds not only that, but friends, enemies, and more danger than he bargained for. There, it doesn’t take long for tales to form about Kellan the Fey. Can he become worthy of such renown? First, he must contend with the Wind from Faerie…

The Wind from Faerie will be available on April 21st, 2019.

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