Where have you spent most of your childhood?
Holland, South Africa, Australia and came to Canada in 1973.
Why do you love books? What is your favorite book?
I began reading books at a very early age and never stopped. Tarzan stories were my fav as a child. As a young adult, I loved the Angelique series. As an adult, I loved historical fiction and fantasy/scifi. But I honestly cannot pick a favorite book. Now, I don't have a lot of time to read anymore.
What’s the most absurd question someone has asked you about Canada, or life in Canada?
Quite a few were under the impression that we have permanent ice and snow...
As a writer, what do you do when you have numerous book ideas at once?
I jot down the plot points. Sometimes I will start writing one and as a rule I have more than one title on the go.
Which one do you prefer: writing a series or a standalone novel? Why?
No preference for either, but a series is harder because you need to keep all the characters in mind of each book. I like dreaming up new characters and plots for stories.
Who designs your book covers? Do you think that a book cover plays an important role in sales?
Martine Jardin has designed 99% of my covers.
Yes, a book's cover is important. It needs to draw the reader's interest. If I see a lousy cover, I won't even look what the book is about.
Who was your point of reference for your character of Emperor Valonius Djaron’kuh? What do you think are the best and worst things about Dahlia?
There was no point of reference. He was just someone I made up. Dalia can be stubborn and impulsive, but she has a good heart and wants nothing but to find the truth of a situation.
How much time does it usually take you to write one book? Was there any book that was particularly easier or harder to write and why?
It varies on the length of the book. I tend to stick to novellas. I don't find any story hard to write as they're mostly fantasy. Were I to write an historical, it would take longer and involve research, yes, would be harder to write.
Was it your plan to make the Crimson Realm Chronicles a series from the start? Or was that something that slowly evolved as you started writing?
The Crimson Realm Chronicles began when helping Taryn with a very short story she wrote. I don't remember exactly how or who suggested it, but we talked and decided it could turn into a book, and after we wrote book 1, we decided that certain characters needed their own story. We are still working on book 9 in the series.
What is more important: a scene or character description?
Character description is important so that the reader can see the character in their mind, and the same goes for scene development. The aim is to draw the reader into the story, to have them imagine it as if they're watching a movie.
When writing a book, how do you when too much is too much? Or how do you know when you have to shorten a particular scene?
By reading it over and over before it goes to the editor.
Do you think it is important for an author to have other author friends? What other authors are you friends with?
Yes and no. I have quite a few author friends, but I mainly talk with Taryn, my coauthor. We hash out plot points etc.
What do you think the future holds for literature and its writers?
It's a tough publishing world. If you're born a writer, like me, you'll never stop, never mind what the future brings.
What are you currently working on?
My editor has 7 novellas waiting for her edits. And I have two in progress. Taryn and I are still working on Jonathan's Fury, which is taking a while because of personal circumstances in Taryn's life. But in between, we have written others, like the one coming out in December, Yuletide Treachery.
Lastly, how do you promote your work on social media? Has AllAuthor been helpful in this regard and would you recommend it to other authors?
Guilty of not promoting enough. Besides being a writer, I run a business, do edits, am the alter ego of Martine Jardin, have a large family, so I have many other things on my platter. I lead a busy life. I should promote more, but rarely get to do it. AllAuthor is a great place to showcase all my works and would recommend it highly to all writers.
