Author Interview - Julia Blake
I’m JuliaBlake, a multi-genre author of fourteen books published to date and book
fifteen on the cusp of being launched. I live in the East of England with one
very friendly little black cat, a grumpy baby tortoise, and my teenage daughter
when she’s home from university. I like the simple things – good food, red
wine, and preferably sharing both with good friends.
Genre: So
far? Contemporary drama, romantic suspense, YA fantasy, folklore fantasy,
steampunk fairy-tale retelling, sci-fi, short stories, and poetry.
Q&A
Q1: What
is the name of your latest book and what is it about?
It’s
called Mage Quest and it is Volume II of the Erinsmore Chronicles. It’s
been four long years since Ruby was last in Erinsmore, but, when she returns
it’s to find over twenty years have passed there. Her friends are older, and
Ruby is an aunt to eighteen-year-old twins. Agreeing to go on a quest to find
her niece’s mage, Ruby has no idea of the adventures that await them. With
dragons, a cyclops, brigands, pirates, a beautiful demon intent on world
domination, oh, and mermaids – this book is a wild exciting ride from beginning
to end.
Q2: How
long does it take you to write a book? How long does each stage of the process
usually take?
I’m a very
fast and accurate writer. Mage Quest is 100,000 words long and it took
me 23 days to hammer it out. Luckily, I write an extremely clean first draft. I
run each chapter through spellcheck and Grammarly as I go, then read through
once it’s finished to check continuity. I listen to it on readback, and then
it’s off to my proofreaders. I make any amendments they suggest. It goes to my
beta readers, and then it’s good to be published.
Q3: What
is your favourite type of character to write?
Definitely
villains. They are so much more interesting than the good guys. I’m fascinated
by what makes a character evil. Were they born that way or did circumstances in
their life force them down that path? The villain in Mage Quest is a
beautiful, sweet, and compelling demon called Lyllith, who has the power to
force people to obey her and believe they are happy doing so. She feeds off
their emotions and wants the whole world to love her.
Q4: Do
you mine your own life for ideas, settings and/or characters? If so, please
give an example from your current book release where you have done this.
In my
fantasy novels, I don’t really draw from my personal life, but in my
contemporary novels, I definitely do. The Perennials Trilogy is a prime example
of this. In book one, Becoming Lili, I draw upon my experiences of being
viciously bullied at school. In book two, Chaining Daisy, I relive the
hell of being in an abusive marriage and how I escaped and survived. Book
three, Rambling Rose, is the aftermath of a marriage break up, of a
demoralising and unfair divorce, and of finding myself a single parent.
Q5: What
is something you wish you had known earlier on in your writing career?
Write
whenever you can – because housework and all the other stuff I procrastinate
with will always be there. Don’t worry about what other writers are doing and
don’t compare yourself to them. Write because you love it.
Q6: What
do you do when you find yourself in a bit of a writing rut? Is there any
strategy you find works for you to help the words start flowing again?
I don’t
tend to get into writing ruts. Because of the way I write – a process I like to
call binge writing – I can go months without writing a word, but it is all
churning away in my mind, so, when I finally sit down and start to write it’s
like the dam has burst and all these words come gushing out.
Q7: What
is your favourite writing resource?
Grammarly
is useful, I tend to run each chapter through it as I finish writing them. I
also like the read-back facility on Word. It is such an incredibly useful
editing tool. As for actual writing resources – I’m a simple writer and I don’t
need fancy notepads, pens, stickers, notice boards, plotting apps, writing
self-help books, playlists, or any of the stuff that other writers seem to
need. No, when I sit down to write it’s just me, my laptop, and a glass of
water.
Q8: You
are such a prolific writer with a wide range of characters and settings, and
you seem to dip in and out of your different book series. What strategies do
you have to remember all of the separate details and character voices?
Ooh, I
honestly don’t know. Maybe because all my characters are like family to me.
They have such a clear and distinct presence within my mind that it’s easy to
keep them all straight. I guess it’s a bit like when you have several TV shows
on the go at once – you keep them all straight in your mind because they’re all
so different.
Q9: What
authors or books inspire you the most?
I love the
epic fantasy novels by Robin Hobb – she taught me not to be afraid of long
books and great sweeping book series. Of sowing the seeds of a plot arc that
won’t be fulfilled until fifteen books later – to play the long game.
Q10:
What are you currently reading?
I am
currently re-reading the books by Karen Miller. I love the world-building in
her novels and the complexities of her characters. I will also be reading an
indie book because I like to read and review a fellow indie author once a week.
Ruby has longed to return for six lonely years. When her wish is granted, over twenty years have elapsed in that magical land. Ruby's family and friends are older. Her dragon, Iliana, is fully grown. And she's an aunt to teenage twins.
After his mother's death, Finley Smith is sent to live with his uncle Mick. Curious about the red-headed woman who visits Mick to talk about somewhere called Erinsmore, Finley follows Ruby into a strange new world. Invited to accompany the royal twins on a quest to find the Mage to the Heir Apparent, Ruby and Finley have no idea of the dangers ahead.
Joined on their journey by the twins' bodyguard, Merric, and the mysterious healer, Xem, this odd assortment of adventurers will face dangerous creatures, dark magic, and an evil foe intent on conquering Erinsmore.
Against overwhelming adversity, Ruby and her friends will discover that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination.
Let the Quest Commence ...
Mage Quest is Volume Two of the wonderful Erinsmore Chronicles
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