Pinky Pollock Interviews Ciara Ballintyne, Author of Confronting the Demon

After reviewing Confronting the Demon, Sharon 'Pinky' Pollock is now interviewing me as well!
Stop on by and read the full interview to learn all about my inspiration, my writing process, and what I'm working on now. 
  If you'd like to pick up your own copy of Confronting the Demon, check out the buy links on this page - at $1.99, it's a steal! Buy direct from my Books page and it's even cheaper. 
 
If you're an author, you might also like to check out my post A Quick Reference Guide to Copyright and Cover Art. Does your cover use stock photos? You might not be able to do with your own book cover all the things you think you can!

Maer Wilson Interviews Ciara Ballintyne

Wow, this blog hopping is getting exhausting. Can you keep up? I'm not sure I can...

Today I'm being interviewed over on Maer Wilson's blog. She's come out hitting hard, and wants to know what the weirdest thing is that's happened to me as a fantasy author. You'll have to read the full interview to find out!

If you haven't already entered the giveaway for an Amazon Gift Card, don't forget to get your entries in.

Also, if you've ever had any questions about copyright in your cover art, check out my handy quick reference guide on Somebody Has To Say It.

Virtual Book Tour - Interview with Ciara Ballintyne, Author of Confronting the Demon

Day 2 of the book tour for Confronting the Demon, and you'll find me over on Kelly P's blog, where she's interviewing me about life, writing and dragons! Stop by and check it out.

And here's a dragon, just to brighten up your day, since Kelly is grilling me all about why there are no dragons in Confronting the Demon!

Lorna Suzuki Interviews Ciara Ballintyne, Author of Confronting the Demon

Lorna Suzuki, author of the fantasy series The Imago Chronicles, generously invited me to interview on her blog, All Kinds of Writing, and I was delighted to accept.

We talk about my new book, Confronting the Demon, publishing, my writing process, inspiration, and my writing plans for the next 5 years - including the Demon sequels. In Stalking the Demon, Alloran must venture into the very bowels of the first circle of hell!

Join us at All Kinds of Writing to read the full interview.

Lorna Suzuki is the author of fantasy series The Imago Chronicles and The Dream Merchant Saga. Book One of The Imago Chronicles, A Warrior’s Tale, was optioned for a major motion pciture in 2011 is now in development.


You can find her at:

The Imago Books Fantasy Realm Website
All Kinds of Writing Blog
@LornaSuzuki - Twitter

Interview with A Wrighton - Author of The Dragonics & Runics

Today I’m welcoming A.Wrighton to my blog. She has been imagining flights of wild fancy since before she could figure out how to tie her shoes. Her love of writing, creating, and imagination has led her through a life full of flights of fancy and amazing adventures. Following her creativity's calling, she earned honours in a BA in English as well as honors in a MFA in Creative Writing.

A. Wrighton writes sci-fi/fantasy (her passion), historical fiction, character-driven fiction, romance, and suspense. She also writes feature screenplays, TV spec scripts, and the occasional short film. Residing somewhere in the beautiful Ventura County, she still claims and loves her native city of Los Angeles. She lives with her amazing family and two dogs and often finds herself writing in little neighborhood joints - a cup of coffee or tea at her side.

Thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us what genre you consider your book(s)?

My main genre is fantasy/sci-fi if you’re looking at the overall spectrum of all of my books. If we’re just talking the Dragonics & Runics Series – it’s a bit more complicated. I’ve never been one to colour inside the lines and that shows in my writing. Most of my work is actually a hodgepodge of genres – whatever it takes to best tell my story – so pinning down just one specific genre is hard. Yes, that can work against me but I have always put story ahead of all else. It’s why I write. The Dragonics & Runics Series novels are a mix of political fantasy, steampunk, high fantasy, adventure, and romance (who doesn’t love a good romantic intrigue, eh?)

Honestly, I think some of the genre lines are a bit artificial. Growing up, I always considered a good fantasy would naturally include adventure and romance. In fact, fantasy, to me, was always the playground where you got to play with elements of other genres.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

           

Jane Austen & Ernest Hemingway are tied. Jane has taught me to really get behind characters, make them as real as possible and to be brutally honest with my reader when I portray the characters in all facets, especially emotional ones. Hemingway taught me to put up or shut up and that the art of word-smithing – picking the right words concisely – is an amazing skill to have. I’m still learning, but I love when people can get a feel for Austen and Hemingway in my work. It definitely makes me smile and go – good, it’s working then.

My bad, I’ve not read either, which I know tends to be frowned on. Oops.

What are your current projects?

           

I have the rest of the novels in the Dragonics & Runics Series in various levels of completion as well as a Sci-Fi novel that is in development. I’m toying with turning another concept into a graphic novel with a few illustrator friends and I am a part of the creative team and lead writer on a soon-to-be-released web series called Things Left Unsaid. I also have a feature film screenplay that I am going to start putting out there soon.

Heavens, you’re one busy bee! Do you write an outline before every book or project you write?

           

In one fashion or another, yes. I write in segments – usually out of order – in clips or scenes. To help organize and streamline the plot, I have a general outline that I adhere to for ordering and flow. Is it rigid? Absolutely not. Does it look the same from before I started writing to when I’m in editing mode? Not even close. But I do outline in a combination of timelines and old-fashioned “OG” fluorescent note cards.

I don’t believe an outline should resemble the finished product, either. A good writer is flexible enough to follow new ideas as they arise, but I also find an outline helpful for continuity and ordering.

Can you tell us about your upcoming book?

           

Part II of the Dragonics & Runics Series (the title will be announced on my Facebook in April) picks up where Defiance: Dragonics & Runics Part I left off – you’re back with the Resistance struggling to put together the pieces of the Prophecy before the Council destroys you and everything you’ve worked towards. You’re going to see a lot of the same characters as in Defiance but get introduced to a few more – and learn quite a bit more about some characters who, in Defiance, might not have caught your full attention. Lots of surprises and, unfortunately, a bit more in-depth look into the struggle between the Rogue Dragonics and the Council. Bottom line – nothing is for certain – things and people can and will change, so you best be careful!

What was your favourite chapter (or part) to write and why?

           

Anything with the Dragons. I love, love, love, love dragons. I always have. Even back when I was an awkward little thing taking painting classes in 6^th grade, I painted dragons. My love of those mythical beasts shows in every Dragon I write – they are all unique with as different personalities as their human counterparts. Later in the series, I have even more fun with the Dragons… at the expense of the humans.

Ooh, a woman after my own heart. Remind me to tell you about my dragon coffee table one day, the centrepiece of my collection!

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

Toughest criticism was probably that I focus too much on developing my characters that it gets lost on the reader. It’s not necessarily a bad criticism but it helped bring into focus that I need to always remember to bring balance to character development and other aspects of writing. I was so grateful for the reminder at the time that I went back and re-evaluated my creative process. This was all during my MFA program and it made me such a better writer for it. Every writer needs to take those hard-to-swallow comments and squeeze the good out of them. The professor that had said it – an award-winning writer – came back at the end of my program and complimented me on my adjustments. I ended up taking the highest award in the program and a direct award from that professor. The head banging on the wall was worth it then. Even the stomach-wrenching choking moment I had for – oh, a few months.

I think it’s safe to say not all the character development (or worldbuilding, which is character development of another kind) that a writer does will show up in the book. Some of it we do so we can know our character better, or to draw upon if needed, but what we need to remember is just because we made it up doesn’t mean it has a place in the finished book.

What has been the best compliment?

My best compliment is that people can see where I take them. They can see my characters, their surroundings. They can hear their voices, smell the surroundings and taste the food. That they can really imagine themselves in the story. That’s a huge compliment because that’s how I want my reader to be when they read my work – I want them immersed in the story’s world so the plot and characters mean that much more to them.

Ah cinematic description! I remember getting that compliment from an editor. I even remember the scene she referred to. The compliments are so much nicer than the criticisms, but unfortunately we need the constructive feedback so we can improve.

Do you have a day job as well?

           

Don’t we all? I’m a mom and I work full time at a lovely company in the entertainment industry. It keeps me running and busy 80% of my day, and I fit writing in whenever and wherever I can. One day, hopefully, I’ll reach that level where writing can be my day job, but until then I’ll keep my nose to the grindstone (so to speak).

Oh yes, we’re all in that boat! For a bit of fun, if you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be?

Wolf. Hands down. And not a werewolf… I would hate the whole changing under the moon thing. There’s just something majestic and beautiful about the wolf – especially their loyalty and sense of duty.

You surprise me. I would have said dragon! What would I find in your refrigerator right now?

           

Blueberries, strawberries (I live in Ventura County, you can’t blame me!), yogurt, cilantro, chicken, mango, leftovers, homemade pizza, some of my pasta sauce, cheese, and pickles. Oh, and some turkey and egg whites. I also think there’s some mystery leftover in the back, but we’re going to ignore that for the moment…

Mmm, strawberries. I’m jealous. The season is about over here in Australia. If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?

           

Elizabeth Bennet. I’m a Darcy fan. I want to see him walk out of the fountain all wet and stuff. Am I right, ladies? That… and I’d also like to stick it to Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Mr. Collins.

You’ve lost me... I only have a vague notion that he's from

Pride and Prejudice. Please don't shoot me - I suspect there are many who would totally agree. Thank you for sharing your time with us today.

If you would like to know more about A. Wrighton, you can find her at:

www.awrighton.com

www.facebook.com/awrighton

www.twitter.com/a_wrighton

www.pinterest.com/awrighton

www.goodreads.com/awrighton

You can find A. Wrighton’s books at:

Dragonics & Runics Series Website: www.defythecouncil.com

Defiance Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/dandrvideo

Defiance on Amazon: http://bit.ly/dr1amazon

Defiance on Kindle: http://bit.ly/dr1ebook (other ebook formats coming in June!)

Things Left Unsaid – a web series: www.facebook.com/thingleftunsaid

Interview with Dionne Lister, Author of 'Shadows of the Realm'

Today I'm welcoming Dionne Lister to Flight of the Dragon. Dionne has just self-published her debut novel Shadows of the Realm and I've invited her here to talk a little about herself and her work.

Dionne is a Sydneysider (for our overseas readers, Sydney, Australia) and she is currently studying an associate degree in creative writing.  When she's not writing, she's trying to keep fit or she's on Twitter. Dionne co-hosts a hilarious podcast called Tweep Nation, which can be found free on iTunes. 

~

Thanks for joining us today, Dionne, to talk about your new book Shadows of the Realm and your life as a writer. I'm always fascinated to learn more about the way others write. Do you write an outline before every book you write? 

Never. I have an idea in my head about where I want to end up but I never know how I’m going to get there.

I used to write like that but I confess the lawyer in me overpowered the creative and now I outline like mad. There is something very free about writing the way Dionne does, though. What authors have influenced your writing?

Stephen King and David Eddings. I just love how you get totally swept away in their worlds. I used to love being scared as a teenager and David Eddings writes characters you care about and uses humour, which I like.

We have that in common! I love them both, although I don't think I write like either. I still find David Eddings very funny. Have you ever hated something you wrote? 

Ha, ha, yes. I tried to write a romantic short story once and it was an absolute disaster – it made me cringe.

Everything I wrote before about 2005 makes me cringe, so if that's all you've got, you're doing well! Can you tell us who designed the cover for Shadows of the Realm?  

You gave me a few questions to choose from but I had to answer this one. Robert Baird is an Australian artist who does sci fi and fantasy art. He has done the most amazing cover. We picked a scene from near the end of the book and the cover he has done has exceeded my expectations.

I love the cover, and as you know, I am SO stealing him if/when I ever need a cover done. Did you learn anything from writing your book and, if so, what was it?  

The most valuable lesson. That we are not born as amazing, bestselling authors. It takes a lot of work and then some. I’ve enjoyed the process and become a better writer as well. The only scary thing about this lesson is that you know if you keep writing, the book you write in a year will be much better than the one you published today, but there’s comes a time you have to let it go.

Ah, yes, letting go... Let me know how that works, will you, I have some trouble with it. What was your favourite chapter or part of Shadows of the Realm to write and why?  

Without giving too much away, there’s a chapter that has horror and gore, and I loved writing that. It actually scared me so I had trouble going to sleep that night; it creeped out Tonya, my editor, as well. After I wrote it I was thinking, “where did that come from.” I imagine it was from reading too much Stephen King as a teenager.

Crivens! I'll have to keep an eye out for that one! Is there anything of you in any of your protagonists, do you think? 

Yes, he, he. One of the main characters, Bronwyn, has trouble forgiving people after an argument. I used to be a grudge holder, but I’m not so much now. A lot of my characters try to see the funny or positive side to a situation and that’s something I usually do.

I think if I said there was anything of me in my protagonists I'd frighten a few people. It's great you can say you've moved on from your characters' flaws! Do you have a day job you do as well as writing? 

Yes, I write and edit content for websites and edit books.

Every writer's dream day job! OK, now we're going to ask a few fun questions, so bear with me if these seem a little out of left field. If you were a tree (or animal) what kind of tree (animal) would you be? 

I know it’s not very original, but I’d be a Siamese cat – elegant and pampered whilst being able to leap tall fences in a single bound.

Pfft, you don't always need to be original to be cool! What would I find in your refrigerator right now? 

Fruit, veges, biscuits, yoghurt, eggs, milk, easter eggs – my fridge is bursting at the moment and there’s probably only one mouldy thing in there!

Easter eggs! You still have Easter eggs? I'll be round in just a minute...  OK, last question before I raid your Easter egg stash - what is the last book you read? 

Wanting by Richard Flanagan. I had to read it for Uni and I enjoyed it.  It’s not normally a book I would look for but that’s what uni is about, expanding your mind.

Is that what uni is about? Uh, yes... of course. Well that's the last of our questions, any last words you'd like to share?

Just wanted to say thank you so much to my wonderful friend Ciara, for having me as a guest and to let everyone know that she gave me wonderful feedback which made my book a lot better than it would have been.

Aww, thanks Dionne. I don't purport to be perfect or a brilliant writer, but what goes around comes around and I try to help out other writers as and when I can. 

Shadows of the Realm is available as ebook and paperback here at Amazon. 

About the Book: Bronwyn and Blayke are two strangers being drawn into the same war. Their world is facing invasion from the Third Realm. While they move unknowingly toward each other, they are watched, hunted, and sabotaged. When the Dragon God interferes, it seems their world, Talia, will succumb to the threat. Can they learn enough of the tricks of the Realms before it’s too late, or will everything they love be destroyed?



The young Realmists’ journey pushes them away from all they’ve known, to walk in the shadows toward Vellonia, city of the dragons, where an even darker shadow awaits.

If you'd like to know more about Dionne, you can find her here:

Twitter: @DionneLister
Blog: www.dionnelisterwriter.wordpress.com 

 

Dionne and I are both entered in the Best Australian Blogs 2012 Competition, dionne for her blog DionneLister - Writer and me for both Flight of the Dragon and Somebody Has To Say It. If you like this blog, or Somebody Has To Say It, or Dionne's blog, we'd be eternally grateful if you'd be so good as to stop by and vote here.

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Thanks for stopping by and visiting with us!

D.C. McMillen's Friday Spotlight with Ciara Ballintyne

In case you missed it, I was interviewed by erotica author D.C McMillen in her Friday Spotlight feature. If you'd like to learn more about me, including my oddest quirk, favourite guilty pleasure, and my advice for other writers, check it out here on D.C.'s fabulous blog. 

In the coming weeks I'll be featuring an interview with my very own protagonist, Astarl, of Deathhawk's Betrayal. Uh, if I survive the experience. I'm trying persuade her to leave her knives at home but the negotiations aren't going well. Mostly because, well, you know - she's got knives. You can get a little more up close and personal with Astarl in an excerpt in my Friday Spotlight interview.