Welcome to another post for the
First Love Blog Hop
I'd like to introduce another author which has joined in with this amazing event. Let's welcome Trace Broyles, author of Estelan
Thank you for hanging out with us today, Trace. It's a pleasure having you here. I do have some questions for you if you don't mind...
Do you listen to music when you write? Have a
completely silent space?
I listen
to music that amplifies the type of scene I am writing or I will pop in a movie
that helps me getting into the right frame of mind. I like Lord of the Rings, V for Vendetta,
Brave, Alice in Wonderland, and similar movies if I am in movie mode. For music I listen to Adele, Tom Petty, the
Fray, P!nk, again, depending on what type of scene I am writing.
Who inspires you? What authors do you look up to?
Why?
First and
foremost I am a huge Tolkien fan. I love
the complexity of his worlds, the camaraderie and the imagery. I am a fan of JK Rowling and George RR
Martin. I’m inspired by beauty in small
things, noble gestures by the average person on the street, and people who work
hard.
Do you have another job and if so what is it?
I am a
marketing assistant – just started the job actually – and I love it. It is flexible, requires creativity, and
allows me to work with people in an entirely different (and exponentially
better) capacity than I used to.
Tell about
your first book and how long it took you to write the first draft?
Estelan
is my first book. It is a YA epic
fantasy about a world torn nearly in two but for a magically sealed core. There is a lot of lore involved and the story
is layered with several storylines running as characters cross paths with each
other. It took about four years to put the concept together and actually start
writing it. Once I did, the first draft
was done in about four months. I wrote
every day. Of course, the editing and
rewriting took several more months.
Who is your favorite character? Why?
This is a
tough question for me because I am attached to several of my characters. In the end, I have to go with Kitin because I
am partial to her. She is cold and very
tough but in so many ways she is fragile.
I appreciate many aspects of her character and some of the decisions she
has made in spite of the sacrifices it would/will mean for her.
Which character was most difficult to write?
Without
giving too much away, I would say that Elnor was most difficult. I had to be careful not to give away too much
of him so I could not really write from his perspective until the very end of
Estelan. There will be more from his
perspective in the sequel and people will see a different side of him. There is a lot to Elnor that not even he is
aware of yet.
Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
I see
myself in all of them. I think I have
said this before, I know I have, but in order for me to write a character I
have to identify with them in some capacity.
Even characters I abhor have some quality or other that I can relate to
so that they do not appear wooden or false.
Indie pub or trad pub?
Indie. I will
stay indie until somebody makes me an offer I can’t refuse. Ha ha.
Seriously though, until somebody offers me something that I cannot do
for myself then it is not worth it to me.
I also have no desire to compromise or fit the mold, if I have to
sacrifice certain parts of my novels/characters to gain a contract then it is
not worth it to me either.
If you
could take the place of one of your characters, which one would you choose and
why?
I would want to be Tyla. I love her and I would like to know Kitin and
the Twins from her perspective. There
are big things to come for her.
If you
could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do?
I want to go back to Ireland, tour the
countryside and stay in as many different bed and breakfasts as possible. I was there for over a week but it was not
remotely enough time. I loved everything
about it from the scenery to the people and I long to set foot on the Emerald
Isle again.
What is
your favorite TV show from your childhood?
What is it now?
From childhood? I think Gummy Bears. I loved watching it on Saturday mornings with
my Pop Tarts in my lap and juice pack on the end table. I still know the theme song! My favorite TV show now is a little more
difficult because it really depends on what kind of mood I am in. I love New Girl and the Big Bang Theory when
I want to laugh. Sons of Anarchy,
Boardwalk Empire, and Parenthood are my other guilty pleasures when I want
something more serious.
Thank you very much. It was great learning more about you today.
If you would like to learn more about Trace.. you can find more here:
Kindle Link: http://www.amazon.com/Estelan-
Twitter: BooksbyViolet
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