Author Interview: Tamara Shoemaker, Embrace the Fire

I have never done an author interview before and I am pleased that the first author I am highlighting on this blog is a friend of mine -- a real life friend, not just online.  I met her at a writing group that I occasionally attend and I liked her right away.  Over the years we have connected, not just as fellow writers, but as women in a very similar place in life.

Tamara Shoemaker is an excellent author and writes in a very similar genre to mine -- young adult fantasy.  I have read several of her books before they were released and always enjoy her stories.  Please enjoy the interview below and take the time to check out her books!

Describe your book in three sentences.

Embrace the Fire continues the journeys of the four characters introduced in Kindle the Flame. Political intrigue overflows into epic warfare as kings clash and nations dissolve beneath Dragonfire and magic. Kinna, Cedric, and Ayden are drawn inexorably toward a fearful destiny, and Dragons, Pixies, Seer Fey, and other creatures are pitted against one another as the adventure dissolves into a cataclysmic end that will leave the reader dying for more.
 

Who is your favorite character in this book and why?

I have so enjoyed creating my Dragon characters, Luasa and Chennuh (Mirage Dragons—this means that they are covered from head to tail-tip with reflective, mirrored scales).They don't speak, not in English or any other verbal language, but some of the communication between themselves and with others is the most lucid and descriptive of any in my books. I tried to name the Dragons according to the traits they possess; for instance, Chennuh is a twist on the Gaelic word for “birthed in fire” and Luasa is an adaptation of the Gaelic “speed of the wind.” In creating their personalities and interactions, I keep those name meanings first and foremost—so Luasa portrays speed, agility, quickness, and flight at all times, and while Chennuh may be slower or more lumbering, he matches the main character, Kinna, with the fiery motif that spreads throughout the trilogy.

Where did the idea for this book come from?

It cropped up in a few different places. My young son wanted to know where he went when he slept, and I soon understood that he thought he actually left his bed and visited the world of dreams at night. After I cleared up any misconceptions and fears about dream-travel for him, I took the idea and ran with it. I created a world for my son to visit should, you know, dream travel suddenly become possible, and it had really cool Dragons and colorful Pixies and Griffons that kept you on your toes and Elves and Sirens and all sorts of fun creatures. I figured such a place would need a governmental system, so I tossed a king in there, and then I realized that the king wasn't very nice, so I put a few heroes in the book, too, just to mix it up a little. By the second or third draft, the book had lost the dream-travel element, and the new world I'd made was the only world in the books.

I also began this story after a trip to New York City, where I met with some agents for YA Fantasy books. One of them told me that she enjoyed books where maidens in ridiculous gowns ran through woods, and knights and horsemen left castles on quests to find the maidens. I was contemplating the dream-travel idea at the same time I was in NYC, so when I put the two ideas together, the books were born.

What do you think readers will love about this book?

I think readers from all genres will find something to like in here: romance fans will enjoy the slow burn of romantic tension that builds over the course of the trilogy, fantasy fans will like the creatures and world-building that is typical of the genre. Adventurists will revel in the epic, sweeping saga of the main characters, and those who enjoy mystery and intrigue will savor the gradual reveals inherent in the political intrigue.

Of all the books you've written, which book/series is your favorite?

Oh, wow, that's a hard question; it's like asking if I have a favorite child.

My books are all so different, and each one has its own “personality,” so to speak, that it's almost like comparing apples and oranges. I guess if I consider only my own reading preferences and what I enjoy the most, I might lean toward my Guardian of the Vale trilogy, as I tend to gobble up urban fantasy superhero stories. That said, I've discovered an epic, dark side to my preferences that I didn't realize was there until I had written Kindle the Flame. And of course, I've always loved mysteries—creating the “who-done-it” of each story was so much fun. :)

You are one of the most disciplined writers I know, how do you keep your vigorous writing schedule?

Hahaha! I love that you use the word “disciplined” for me. I feel very undisciplined most days as I struggle against the distractions of Facebook and a million other things calling for my attention.

My “secret” isn't really a secret. It's a.) determination (I'm GOING to finish this book if it's the last thing I do), b.) consistency (I aim for a thousand words a day, and I don't stop until I've at least met that goal), c.) flexibility (I have three young kids running through my “office”; I don't have office hours), and d.) changing up my schedule to allow my imagination to soar. If I stick with one project for too long, I get in a rut, and my art suffers beneath it. It's probably the reason why I have five projects I'm currently doing, shifting them hour by hour as I work to get the best focus.

What is your favorite activity that doesn't have to do with books?

That doesn't have to do with books? Is there such a thing? ;) I love creating anything—music, art, food, etc. I'm most relaxed when I can play the piano for half hour stretches or find a delicious-looking recipe and try it or even just pull out crayons and one of my kids' coloring books and color for a while. You may have been looking for a more fascinating answer—skydiving, for instance, or swimming with sharks or surfing the monster waves off of the coast of Australia. Nope. I'm happiest with the simple joys. And I do make some amazing cookies. ;)

Tamara Shoemaker lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband, three children, a few jars of Nutella, and a never-ending carafe of coffee. She authored the Amazon best-selling Shadows in the Nursery Christian mystery series and Soul Survivor, another Christian mystery. Her fantasy books include the first two books of the Heart of a Dragon trilogy: Kindle the Flame and Embrace the Fire, as well as Mark of Four and Shadows of Uprising, the first two books in the Guardian of the Vale trilogy. In her spare time, she freelances as an editor for other works of fiction.

Follow her on social media:

Twitter: @TamaraShoemaker

Website: www.tamarashoemaker.org