What inspired you to write your first book? Oddly, I had begun work on a sort of memoir like project that centered around journals my father kept while a POW in WW2—it was so emotionally draining that I decided to write a little fantasy story—this coincided with Nanowrimo and even though I didn’t sign up I did the word count—that first project turned into Wolfmoon Trilogy. And I still haven’t completed the ‘memoir’ !
How did you come up with the title? The title for the first book is The Moonstone named for a magical stone passed down through many generations of women. It makes its way through all three books and even into the sequel, which I just completed a few months ago.
Is this your first book? How many books have you written (published or unpublished)? I have ten out now and am working on 11 and 12.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? My first novels are all about reverence for the earth—told through the destruction of a parallel world in which a priest gone bad is trying to claim it all for himself.
How much of the book is realistic? Realistic? I guess it could be a metaphor for what we are doing to our earth—especially with current mining and gas exploration practices.
Are your characters based on someone you know, or events in your own life? Not really. Each character seems to be part of someone I might have known and all parts of me, but nothing specific.
Of the characters you have created or envisioned, which is your favorite & why? I think I love my shape-shifting coyote the best—he is a coyote who has been given the gift of becoming human and the ensuing confusion and humour he goes through make me laugh!
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? My latest book is a murder mystery called Saffron and Seaweed—I might go through it and take out any tags I don’t need…other than that the story is how I wanted it to be…
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? ‘I love you all and appreciate every time you pick up one of my books! And please, if you read my books, leave a review if you can! It is so hard to get reviews!
What do you enjoy most about writing? I think I love how the story cannot be pinned down and how the characters seem to take control and lead it to places that I find surprising. Sometimes I find myself laughing at some conversation my characters have—it’s really very odd!!
What age did you start writing stories/poems? I’ve always loved to write—maybe on offshoot of how much I read when I was a child.
What is your favorite part/chapter of your book/project? I think I enjoy the beginning of a story the best—as it gets toward the end I become nervous—afraid I won’t wrap it up the way it should be or that it’s too short/too long or that the themes are boring/wrong…
What is your favorite theme/genre to write? I really love fantasy—sort of mystical fantasy, like Just Another Desert Sunset—I’m also really enjoying the murder mysteries since they have a paranormal element. Oddly, the murder mysteries have a lightness about them, mainly because of the on again off again love affair of the two main characters…
Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it? If so I haven’t come upon it yet—the last book I wrote tackled human trafficking, among other things. The one I’ve just begun may have to do with a school shooting but I haven’t decided to go with this plot line yet—that one makes me fearful because it so dark and terrible…
What book are you reading now? I just began the 2nd book of the Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne—light and fun. Before that I read an historical fiction novel about Eleanor of Aquitaine—I have eclectic reading tastes!
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? I just began one by Marissa Farrar—Twisted Dreams. But the jury is still out—I enjoyed the Laini Taylor series very much—starts with Daughter of Smoke and Bone—I highly recommend it.
Do you see writing as a career? I can’t stop if that’s what you mean—I certainly do not make a living doing it but the idea of not doing it terrifies me! I love it and it is my life.
Do you nibble as you write? If so what’s your favorite snack food? I don’t usually eat, or listen to music when I write…
Do you have any odd habits or childhood stories? I’m obsessive and need to puzzle problems out while I’m walking—A lot of times when I wake up in the night I realize I’ve been writing in my dream…
Where do you see yourself in ten years? Hopefully still writing and hopefully people reading more of my books!
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? The most challenging thing to me is the marketing—I find it exhausting, depressing and overwhelming!
What reward do you give yourself for making a deadline? WINE!
Have you ever hated something you wrote? Not really.
What book do you wish you had written? I wish I had written The Lord of the Rings! I have so many stories about gods and goddesses that I want to write but I can only work on one at a time!
What is your best marketing tip? I’m not the one to ask. I might suggest bknights on Fiverr—I’ve recently begun ads on Amazon but don’t know yet what will happen as a result…you‘d think I’d have more tips but I really struggle with it and I am very unorganized when it comes to marketing and so half the time I can’t even track what I’ve done!
What genre is your next project? What is it about? I’m working on the 2nd coyote book—it’s called Desert Sunrise. I already have the cover! Also working on the 3rd in my murder mystery series…
Can you tell us about your upcoming book? Desert Sunrise is a sequel to Just Another Desert Sunset and the coyote and the main protagonist, Sara, have had a baby together…there is a lot of conflict going on between the coyote and the human woman as they struggle to find a way to stay together—he likes to live as a coyote and she as a human–there is also a side story which has to do with the predator masters—a real group of hunters who come into Arizona and kill coyotes for sport—it is disgusting to me and in my book my coyote is trying to warn the other coyotes…
How do we find your books, blog and bio? I have an author page on Amazon and a facebook page ‘author Nikki Broadwell’—and my website is: http://www.wolfmoontrilogy.com
Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers 