Tima and I crossed paths on Twitter recently. Here's what I learned about her and her upcoming novel.
Glad to speak with you
today Tima!
Tell us about all
about you…as the non- author first then about you as author.
I’m an archaeologist
and ancient historian who turned high school teacher, and loved – almost –
every minute of it. I used to take my students on excursions to Italy, France
and Britain to visit archaeological sites there. Only recently I decided to
quit and pursue my MPhil in Ancient History when I began to write Bloodgifted.
The idea popped into my head during one summer holiday and took off from there.
That was three and a
half years ago.
Since then, I’ve
entered several writing competitions and came 4th in one and 7th in
another, and only last week was offered a publishing contract.
How long have you been
writing?
I only started writing
fiction three and a half years ago. Before that, it was academic papers and a
thesis. So, this is a huge shift for me – and I love it. I don’t know if I’ll
ever go back and finish that MPhil!
What inspires you to
write in the style that you do? (what genre do you write in? does it vary?)
I write paranormal
romance – vampire stuff. Ever since I was a teen I loved anything to do with
the mysterious, the paranormal, and vampires in particular.
Someone once said,
write what you love, and what you would read. And, that’s exactly what I do.
My shelves are filled
with books by Maggie Shayne, MaryJanice Davidson, Tanya Huff, Charlene Harris
and Lindsay J Pryor.
How many words per day
do you like to write? Is that a daily goal or weekly goal?
I don’t have a set
routine, as that simply doesn’t work for me, but when I can, I try to write at
least a thousand words a day. Otherwise I work on editing, plotting the next
book, creating a genealogy of my characters, or planning my promo images.
What is the name of
your first book? How long ago was
It printed? Where did
you market it and did you have a good sale number?
My debut novel is
called Bloodgifted. It’s due for release in May and I hope – like every other
author on the planet – that it ends up being a good seller. As it's not
on the market yet, the rest of those questions will have to be saved for
another time.
I understand you have
a book series. How many books are in the series (or will be in the series when
completed)? How did you come to write a series?
Yes, Bloodgifted is
Book 1 in the Dantonville Legacy series. At the moment I’m planning on a
trilogy, although there could be the possibility of a fourth book.
As soon as I began
Bloodgifted, I knew one book would not be enough to tell the complete story.
Although set in modern Sydney, the tale itself begins almost two thousand years
earlier, in Roman Britain. There’s an epic quality to it.
When I’ve completed
this series, I intend writing a spinoff featuring the secondary characters from
Dantonville. After all, each of them has their own unique story to tell.
How do you feel about
online book reading? Do you have a book that you’ve written for a digital shelf
like ibooks or kindle?
I love my kindle, but
I still enjoy the feel of a paperback. Bloodgifted will be released as both
ebook and POD (Print-onDemand) on Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, Sony and Apple, so
readers will have a choice.
Do you think it’s
worth to ask buyers to purchase a digital novel for the same amount of $ as a
print novel?
No, not really. The
digital doesn’t include the cost of the paper, printing and cover, as well as
distribution. As such my ebook will be at least $10 less than the POD.
How do you think the
change in the publishing industry affects authors today?
I think it’s fantastic
as it gives writers a far greater choice. Gone are the days when authors were
slaves to the whims of the publishing industry. Now, we don’t have to rely on
their approval.
It means a lot more
work, though, but for the control freaks among us (* cough, cough*) the
independence to be in charge of our own creation and earn decent royalties in
return, is worth it.
If you could give a
budding author advice what would it be?
Write what you love
and don’t give up. Enter as many competitions as you can for the experience,
but especially for the exposure. It’s good to compare your writing to the best,
and always aim high. Also, join a writers group near your as they’ll be your
best source of encouragement and support, as well as providing practical help
with editing and critiquing your manuscript.
Can you recommend our
readers a publisher that you like to work with?
There are a lot of
good publishers out there and I think it’s a matter of finding the right one
for you.
Recently I was offered
a publishing contract, but later realized (thankfully before I signed the contract),
they weren’t right for me. I’ve since decided to go indie.
If you could be a
famous author, who would it be and why?
I couldn’t possibly
choose just one; perhaps a combination of Maggie Shayne, Mary Janice Davidson
and Lindsay J Pryor. They write page turning stories, with great
plots, interesting characters and memorable dialogue.
Tell us where we can
find your book(s) and provide a link!
Okay, once my book’s
released – in May – it’ll be available on Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo and other
online retailers.
On Goodreads –
Thank you Tima! Keep me posted on how your new work is evolving!
You’re welcome
Kristine. Thank you for asking me.
No comments:
Post a Comment