Interview with author, Mary Parker

Today on my blog I have Mary Parker, who has just published her first book 'The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake'. It is a new Young Adult book which is the first in the Kahl’Nar Saga series. I have been asked to review this and it sounds great! I found her answers really interesting as a writer, and I hope you do too.

1. Have you always liked writing?

Yes. I've had a passion for the written word for as long as I can remember - that includes both reading and writing.

2. What is your favourite thing about writing?
Being able to tell the same kind of stories that I enjoy reading. While I'd love to say I'm a well-read person and spend equal time reading a wide variety of genres, there are honestly some genres that I like better than others, and I spend the majority of my free time reading fantasy stories. 

3. What is your least favourite thing about writing?
Editing. I hate, hate, hate editing. I wish I could just write it perfectly the first time, but that is not how life works. 

4. What is your favourite book and why?
I don't know that I could even begin to name a favorite book, but I could give you some of my favorite authors: J.R.R. Tolkein, J.K. Rowling, Ray Bradbury, George Martin. I love the way they tell a story. You get caught up in it and forget that you are reading. It's almost like you are a part of the story.

5. The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake is a young adult fantasy novel - have you always liked/wrote in that genre?
Yes. Since it is the genre I most enjoy reading it makes it easier to write in. There is an old saying that you should write what you know. I know young adult fantasy, so it is a comfortable genre for me to immerse myself in when I write.

6. Are you planning any more books? Could you tell us a bit about what is coming soon?
I am planning to continue writing the Kahl’Nar Saga series. I've got seven books planned. You will experience a lot of new worlds and a lot of new characters. I don't want to give too much away. If you've read "The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake" you know that secrecy plays an important part in the plot. I love leading readers to the point of the big 'reveal,' but that means you have to play it pretty close to the vest. 

7. Who is your favourite character and why, in the novel?
 Leeowyn, simply because I've spent the most time with her. I've kind of lived with her character since I was a child, and she went through a number of incarnations before she was fully developed in the novel. I've really had time to allow her character to grow, and that's been fun. 

8. Who do you recommend your book to?
Anyone who is interested in fantasy fiction. I've had people who are big fans of Harry Potter and the Twilight series tell me they enjoy it. 

9. At any point in the making of the story did you get writer's block?
All the time. There was a point in every chapter when I didn't know where I was going next. The amazing thing about creating great characters is that sometimes they seem to take on a life of their own. My characters would do a great job of leading me into a direction I hadn't really planned, simply by allowing them to do what they would do naturally, and they are responsible for some of my favorite chapters. 

10. Do you have a hero/role model, or did you used to have one as a child?
My daddy and my momma. They are both my heroes and my role models. I know that sounds cliché, but it's true!

Thank you! Zoe xx