Wednesday, March 12, 2014

An Interview with Mary Waibel, author of The Princess of Valendria Series & Faery Marked

Welcome back! Before we get to our 6th author interview, I thought I'd start by sharing a couple of reads that I've found particularly helpful and relevant to my own adventure into author-land:
Ok, on to our newest interview! Up until this point, all of our interviews have been strictly authors. Today we'll speak to an author who also has some experience on the other side of the pond, so to speak. Mary Waibel, author of The Princess of Valendria Series and Faery Marked is Content Editor with BookFish Books http://www.bookfishbooks.com/. She's speaking with us today about both aspects of the publishing industry.





















-You are both an author (The Princess of Valendria Series & Faery Marked) and an editor (BookFish Books). How do the two roles overlap? Do you have a different perspective than most authors, having experience on both sides of the publishing world?
MARY: I'd like to think that my editing skills help me with my writing, but I know, that like every author, I'm too close to my own work to be an effective editor. However, I do try to watch for things I look for in the work I edit (repetition of words, using words/phrases too close to each other or too often, flow of story, did all the ends get tied up-things like that)

 -Did you always want to be an author or was there a moment in your life where you suddenly said, "I think this is something that I'd like to do,"?
MARY: I dabbled at writing for a while before I thought, 'Hmm, maybe I can do something with this.' And of course, I sent out a version of Quest of the Hart that wasn't publication ready. Those quick rejections had me going back and revising once I finished the first draft of what would become Charmed Memories.

 -In your experience, what are some common mistakes that people make when sending out queries to literary agents/publishers?
MARY:  I think we all rush things. We're in such a hurry to get things out, that we don't always take enough time to be certain the story is finished and the best it can be. I know I still struggle with this. I'm working at making sure I have enough beta reader or critique partners look at it and say, 'Hey, while this sounds really cool, you aren't grabbing my attention, or you didn't explain this- I don't understand.' If one person doesn't understand, you can guarantee there are others. And just because it's clear to you doesn't mean it's clear. Getting the tough feedback that sends you back to revisions is hard, but if it makes your story stronger and better, it's worth it. And that's the key. You only get one chance to tell the story, so you need to make sure that you wait until it's right.

-I often hear people say, "write what you would want to read."  Would you say that is something that you have done?  
MARY: Yes. And with the amount of time you end up spending on a manuscript, this is really good advice. You've written your book, and your betas and critique partners have looked it over, and it's been accepted by an agent or a publisher. You'd think the revising would stop now, but it doesn't. With each of my books, I've gone through a minimum of three rounds of content edits, three rounds of line edits, and I've proofed my galley before release. If you don't love your story, it will be really hard to do all this. Believe me, by the time I've read my galley for the second or third time (looking for all those typos and things) I'm getting sick of reading what I wrote. I can only imagine it would be worse if I didn't like the story to begin with!

 -When a new writer has a finished MS and decides it's time to try and get it published, what advice can you give them?  
MARY: Make sure you've had several critique partners and beta readers read it first. And not just family and friends. Find writers you can exchange work with and get good, honest feedback. I've found that by critiquing for others, especially those who's writing is at a stage above mine, has helped me improve my own writing.

-What are some mistakes that you made as a first time writer?  
MARY: Querying too soon. Not having enough eyes on my work for feedback. Not listening to the feedback I was given- not because I disagreed (if you disagree because it's an opinion thing, that's fine!) but because I was stubborn and didn't want to make the change needed as it would snowball through. (After a short time away from the feedback, I realized I was being silly and did make the necessary changes.)

-How difficult is it to write something new, that hasn't already been done and played out over and over again? 
MARY:  I think it depends on the person. If you look at my first book, Quest of the Hart, you'll easily see that it follows the pattern laid out in Disney's Sleeping Beauty. This was intentional. I took the set up from the cartoon-movie and gave it my own twist. That's where the fun comes in. Finding ways to take something that's already there and twist it into something new.

-Was there an author and/or book that you read growing up that has influenced how or what you write today?
MARY:  I've read a lot of Nora Roberts books. Each time I try to see why her characters are so compelling (and each time I get sucked into the story and forget to look for what it is about her writing that I like so much!) But the one I'd credit with giving me the courage to step out and put my work out there is Lisa Shearin. After reading the first book in her Raine Benares series (Magic Lost, Trouble Found), I stumbled upon her blog and started to learn about the publishing world. If it wasn't for that, I might still just be dabbling at my writing.

 -What is it like to finally see a finished cover for a book of yours, soon to be released? 
 MARY: Seeing the cover is like opening the perfect present. The cover artists I've been fortunate to work with have all done an amazing job of capturing the spirit of my stories with their cover art. Is it always right the first time? No- little tweaks are often made, but in the end, seeing that cover makes me so excited to share my book with the world.

 -What audience are your novels geared toward? 
MARY: My books are all Young Adult. While the Princess of Valendria series leans more toward early teens, they are great for lovers of fairy tales. The Faery series is geared toward older teens and lovers of Fae.

 -If you were a bowl of soup, which kind would you be? 
MARY: Probably something like minestrone. A little bit of everything tossed together.

 -Favorite movie featuring Sigourney Weaver?
 MARY: GALAXY QUEST   

 -Say you had to live the rest of your life as a character in a book.  What book and character would you choose and why?  
MARY: Hmm. I thought really long and hard about this one, and decided I can't choose. Part of the reason I read is to escape life for a short time. Each time I do I become immersed in the world and lives of the characters I'm reading about. There are books I re-read, as I don't want my time with those characters to end, and books that I look forward to reading so I can spend time with new characters. Like with vacation places (there are so many places to visit and see I don't want to always go to the same place) there are too many books I want to live in to choose just one :-).
 
-Did Full House annoy you as much as it did me?
MARY:  I didn't really watch Full House. I know of the actors from it, but I never really watched it.

-Anything else you want us to know about your books?  Why should we go out and buy them?
MARY: The Princess of Valendria series are stand alone novels that follow several characters in the world of Valendria. While you can read them in any order, there are tiny spoilers if you read them out of order. The order you might want to read them in? Quest of the Hart, Charmed Memories, Different Kind of Knight. Faery Marked, the first book in the Faery series, will release this summer from BookFish Books. It is the first of a trilogy, however, each novel will be told from a different characters' POV (point of view) with a continuing POV from Queen Nissa in each book.


Book Blurb: Faery Marked:
When Callie Rycroft wakes to purple flames on the ceiling, she discovers that not only does the Faery realm exist, but she is the human who must save it. Chosen as Champion by the Faery Queen, Callie is tasked with finding the Cordial, a magical elixir to strengthen the portal between the Human and Faery realms.The upside? Reece Michaels, the boy she's been crushing on for years, is assigned as her Guardian. Callie hopes by spending time together, he'll start to see her as more than just his best friend's sister. The downside? She's in a race not only against time, but another Champion and Guardian-a Guardian who stands to threaten her developing relationship with Reece.Magic, mistaken identities, and hidden agendas are the least of Callie's worries when she learns the Cordial requires a sacrifice. Will Callie be willing to risk all, even Reece, to complete her task as Champion, or will she let the portal fall, and destroy both realms?




Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Mary!!! Everyone else, remember to check out Faery Marked, coming THIS SUMMER!!!

Follow me (Tom) on Twitter @RimerTom as I write my first novel and try to join the published authors club.

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