Her best accomplishment should make you cry. #interview with @libraryoferana
Author of
Interview # 2 (of 2)
When I was writing Book I my mother was suffering with terminal cancer. It was a horrible time for the whole family and writing gave me something positive to focus on. Anyway Book I was published in print a couple of months before she died. I took a copy when I visited and Mum was so pleased and proud.
Despite her pain and illness she called the whole family, the neighbours, told the carers, the doctor - pretty much anyone who visited that I had written a novel. She never finished reading it - but it made her smile. That, to me, is success. I made a dying woman happy in her last few weeks. I gave her something else to think about.
If I can pick another probably finishing my degree. I had a number of health issues of my own at uni and that was the start of my mother's battle with cancer. I ended up studying part time but I finished the degree with a decent grade. I'm not sure I had the energy then and I know I don't have it now.
Have you always liked to write?
Yes. I was usually the one writing the poem or short story for the school display. It always amazed me as I have awful handwriting and we didn't have computers then. Well we did but we had ONE for the whole school and it could just about cope with drawing a square.
I'm a poet - mostly an introspective one. But I've always made up stories and characters. I had several imaginary friends....
Do you have any advice on how to deal with bad reviews?
Ignore them. Not everyone will like a book. One person's meat is another's poison so they say. I've read plenty of books other people thought were amazing to find them mediocre at best, and books plenty of people didn't like to find them wonderful. Bad reviews happen. Move on.
Envision a dragon. Do you battle him? Or is the dragon friendly? Use descriptive language.
Great leathery wings creaked in the darkness, the only sound in the night. It was the sound of death approaching. How could something so large move so swiftly, or smoothly. Scales of polished jet and blood-red ruby afforded the beast ample protection against its foes. A maw of blades, more weapons in those mighty jaws than the doomed villagers were yet able to field and the dragon knew it.
Lazily she circled, hawk-eyes picking out the juiciest, tenderest targets; hardly a challenge this human settlement. Not like the last. These humans were mere snacks to the queen of the mountain. Her eyes turned to the smoke still rising from the horizon, her mouth moistened. Oh yes, that town had been quite the challenge - they'd even had a sorcerer, and a particularly tasty one at that.
Tonight death was on the menu and it came from the terrible, smoke filled sky. Tonight was the night of the dragon queen and it would not be the last. One day she'd meet her match from the warriors, and the wizards. It would not be this night.
