IndieView with Marsha A. Moore, author of Heritage Avenged: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Two

I became less interested in creating a book that industry folks believed would be trendy. I wanted it to be as I envisioned. Looking back, I’m glad I chose to go Indie with this series.

Marsha A. Moore 14 July 2012

The Back Flap

Lyra McCauley receives an alarming letter from the coroner who evaluated her deceased aunt, originally thought to have died of cancer. The news causes Lyra to take leave from her job and travel from sunny Tampa to the frozen island community in northern Michigan. Questioning whether Dragonspeir magic was responsible for her aunt’s death, she resolves to learn the truth and accepts the Imperial Dragon’s appointment into the Alliance sorcery training.

Additionally, becoming proficient in magic craft is the only way she can bridge the gap between her mortal human world and her lover’s. Cullen, a 220-year-old wizard, is dependent upon his Dragonspeir magic for immortality. He is her only family now; she cannot lose him.

Evil forces block her and try to steal her inherited scribal aura. Riding a stealth dragon, a cloaked rider pursues Lyra. Both the Alliance and Dark Realm alchemists lay tricks and traps. Her aura equals that of the first and most powerful Scribe, but will Lyra’s novice training allow her to discover the truth? Will she be able to be with Cullen, or will the Dark Realm keep them apart?

About the book

What is the book about?

The Enchanted Bookstore Legends are about Lyra McCauley, a woman who is destined to be one of five strong women in her family with unique magical abilities and are to serve as Scribes in the fantasyland of Dragonspeir. That is a parallel world to the real world Lyra is raised in. The Scribes span a long history of Dragonspeir, dating from 1200 to present day. Each Scribe is expected to journey the entire fantasy world, through both the good and evil factions, then write a lengthy account. That recorded work contains magic with huge implications for both factions.

Lyra was first introduced to Dragonspeir as a young girl, when she met the high sorcerer, Cullen Drake, through a gift of one of the enchanted books.  He escorted her into the fantasy land. But later, she lost that volume and forgot the world and Cullen. This story begins where he finds her again when she is thirty-five, and Dragonspeir needs her to carry out her inherited role as the next Scribe.  While meeting her responsibility as a Scribe, Lyra and Cullen fall in love. He is 220 years old and kept alive by Dragonspeir magic. Knowing Cullen would die if Dragonspeir is taken over by the evil faction, she accepts her responsibility. Only when she becomes proficient in magic craft can she can bridge the gap between her mortal human world and her lover’s.

When did you start writing the book?

I started Heritage Avenged around September, 2011.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took about 4 months, with some time spent on detours in life slowing down the writing a bit.

Where did you get the idea from?

It’s basically a fantasy lover’s dream, being able to step into a favorite book as a character. I know my initial inspiration came after watching the recent Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland movie. From that, I wanted to work with parallel worlds and have a heroine who must save the fantasy world from danger. But, I wanted it to be more adult in order to deal with more complex feelings. Beyond that, I just see fantasy stories all around me. It comes naturally.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I didn’t struggle with the first two books, but had a difficult time finding what internal conflict my heroine needed to deal with in the third book. I actually had to live it, pass through an experience in my own life, in order to see what the character needed to do. That was a real moment of discovery for me since I’d been too close to the forest to see the trees, so-to-speak.

What came easily?

I love world building and would be bored without a fantasy element. It relaxes me to let my imagination run wild, so creating fantasy worlds is a treat and comes very easily for me.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Reality always forms the framework of how my characters interact in my stories. Actually, since this is a five-part series and I’m currently writing book #3, the more I look at this story, the more of myself I see. My heroine, Lyra, is very much connected to me. Even in the first chapter of the first book, the childhood memories brought to her mind by Cullen’s magical tea are actually all mine. How Lyra interacts with her Aunt Jean has been a way for me to work through my own issues with my mother’s failing health. Some scenes intentionally connect to my own experiences, like those, and others surprise me much later when I’m polishing my draft to send to my editor. I shake my head and hope no one other than my crit partners can identify the similarities.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I loved Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. The symbolism is amazing; the more you read, the more layers you find. Inspired by that, I like to hide things in my stories.

From the present, picking one book is too hard. The Harry Potter series is one of my all-time favorites. Again, the layering of hidden plots, which spin to completion later in the series, really captures my imagination. The last few books that really pulled me in were Natasha Mostert’s Season of the Witch and Erin Morgenstern’s Night Circus. In both of those, magic caused mental effects for both the giver and receiver. I enjoy the complexity of that theme and employ it myself in a very different way. My heroine, Lyra, must learn to mentally control her vast inherited powers as the new Scribe. That is something she struggles to master through the series.

Do you have a target reader?

Since the hero and heroine are in their mid-thirties, I would expect my readers to be age thirty to sixty and probably more females than males since there is a romance element in addition to the main theme of fantasy.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

My process begins with a setting I find interesting, somewhere I’d like to spend some time. In writing fantasy, world-building is everything. Then, I create the main characters, appearance and personality. From there, how they will become involved goes hand-in-hand with developing the plot. I do outline a lot, since there are many interwoven subplots in this series. This series is epic in scope, and details would get lost if I didn’t plan. Outside of the key features on the outline, I do allow the in-between progress in each chapter to flow freely, which I enjoy a lot. Some of the most imaginative bits arise that way.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

Somewhere in between those. I outline to be certain I reach the major plot points at the correct time. Each chapter is outlined with the major action that must happen, but beyond that, it flows with my imagination. My secondary characters get a lot of leeway.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I definitely edit as I go. My final edit before giving the manuscript to my editor takes only about ten days for a full-length novel. I also work with a critique group, so there are many passes over the chapters before my final edit.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I certainly do and think it’s necessary to have an exceptional editor. For this series, I’m working with India Drummond.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

Not usually, since when the songs shift to another tempo or theme that doesn’t match my scene, I find it distracting. If I took time to create a playlist, it would be better, but I prefer to spend that time writing.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I did submit the first of my Enchanted Bookstore Legends, Seeking a Scribe, to many agents. I received good feedback, but concerns that the book was balanced more toward fantasy than romance, which, for them, made it a less marketable work. I was asked to rewrite to correct that, but I wasn’t willing to change that much of my story.

What made you decide to go Indie? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

It was from the answer above. From agents and publishers saying that same thing, I became less interested in creating a book that industry folks believed would be trendy. I wanted it to be as I envisioned. Looking back, I’m glad I chose to go Indie with this series. I love the storyline across the five books (two are released) and am very proud of it.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did it you do it yourself?

I designed the covers for my Enchanted Bookstore Legends. I combined techniques of watercolor and digital painting to achieve the illustrated look I wanted for fantasy.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

For the two books of the series, I have hired Bewitching Book Tours to coordinate a virtual blog tour. Along with that, I do almost anything that comes my way for online marketing, although I try to keep paid ads to a minimum.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Don’t work alone. Use a critique group. I love my crit partners. They’re my best friends. They keep me motivated, cheer with me for my successes, and support me when any hardships come along. My group is local, though the Florida Writers Association. I think it’s extremely important to find a local crit group rather than working only online. We benefit so much from collectively brainstorming how to solve everyone’s writing problems.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in the Midwest—NW Ohio and Indiana.

Where do you live now?

I live in the Tampa area with my husband. We moved from the Toledo, Ohio area three years ago, so I’m still learning to be a Floridian. We love it here! The change has been a wonderful adventure. I like being outdoors any day I choose, whether I’m kayaking, hiking, or cycling. I love the water and aspire to be a beach bum. I write chapters for my book on our dock or at the beach. Inspiration from nature fuels my writing.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently finishing up writing the third Enchanted Bookstore Legend, Lost Volumes. I’m planning a September release for that book. I’ve also been planning a new series. I like to think about my plans for a new book or series over several months, fitting the pieces together.

End of Interview:

You can find Marsha all over the web, starting with her website and as a contributor at Fantasy Faction. You can also check out her Goodreads author page, like her Facebook page, follow her on twitter, or Google+.

Get your copy of Heritage Avenged: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Two from Amazon US or Amazon UK. If you haven’t read Seeking a Scribe (the first book in the series) you can find them, also at Amazon US or Amazon UK.