The Lost Princess of Aevilen (Kingdom of Aevilen) by D.C. Payson
1- What is the most fun activity you and your family have done lately?
I’ve been playing Fortnite with my 11 and 7 year old boys. It’s a lot of fun!
2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?
Sure - #StartWriteNow. Your novel is worth writing! The world needs it, and it should not live in your head forever! It’s depressing to think of how many incredible stories have disappeared upon the death of their imaginers, having never been written down.
3- What is the best piece of writing advice you've received?
To think carefully about the inhales and exhales – not only the need for tension to drive the plot and create interest, but also the need for moments of calm or levity to give the reader a chance to relax, reorient, and process what just happened. Inhale, exhale.
4- The Lost Princess of Aevilen has an amazing cover! Who should get the credit for that artwork, and did the same person do the art on your website?
Danielle Doolittle did the cover. She definitely nailed it! The art on my website was done on commission by the amazingly talented Leslie J. Lee, who also does concept work for major TV shows, video games, etc. I was lucky to get to work with her! Check her out at lesliejlee.com.
5- Would you share a picture with us of your book with Freya the Mini-Schnauzer?
6- What tips might you give to someone who plans to stand up to an evil regime?
So, to be honest, it’s pretty hard to stand up to truly evil regimes. We remember those who did (or who tried) precisely because it takes so much courage, and often comes at incredible cost. But the antidote to evil regimes – or even regimes sliding toward being evil – is truth. Evil regimes survive when they alone control the narrative and can twist reality to suit their needs; the light of truth is a powerful disinfectant! So, support free speech (even if it’s messy sometimes), and shout your truth from the rooftops!
7- What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?
I’m @DC_Payson . Most of my write friends aren’t super active on Twitter, preferring Instagram.
8- Do you have a favorite #bookstagram image or account/ profile?
Well, besides the obvious @month9books , I think @epicreads from HarperCollins does a beautiful job of staging their photos.
9- What most motivates you to read a new book?
I get most excited about finding and reading books that I know my kids will love. I work a lot, so if I have a free moment I want to spend it being a dad. For me, most of my reading-for-pleasure is done with one of my kids snuggled up in my arms, and it’s a real joy for me to immerse myself in a story alongside them!
10- It's our tenth anniversary! How far has your writing come in the past ten years and where do you see your writing career ten years from now?
I think my writing has come a long way! Looking back on my early manuscript drafts (which I still have!), I think I’ve gotten a lot better about controlling the pace of the story and writing dialogue. I have a really cool concept in mind for a new book series, and hopefully 10 years from now you’ll be reading it!
11- What is your favorite book by someone else, what's the author's Twitter handle, and what do you love most about that book? #FridayReads book recommendation time!
Author name: GA Morgan @GAMorgan1
Title: Fog of Forgetting
Love because: I used to go to summer camp in Maine, and so I really enjoyed the initial Maine-based setting. It’s easy to slip into a transport-fantasy when you feel transported there yourself!
12- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader?
I want the reader to experience the full arc of Julia’s (the MC) emotions, from feeling scared and powerless when she first wakes up in Aevilen to feeling hopeful and powerful after she discovers that her unique abilities may help to end a long-standing conflict. I purposefully wrote Julia in a way that’s meant to allow the reader to imagine himself or herself in her shoes, and the fantasy-powers she has are quite modest… She doesn’t need to cast fireballs from her hands; she merely needs to access parts of Aevilen (and Aevilen’s history) in ways that its denizens no longer can. Of course, she also needs to discover that her abilities matter, and then make the choice to be a courageous change-agent. Hopefully a reader might ultimately feel a sense of “hey, maybe I could impact the world around me, too!”
13- What kind of impact do you hope your book will have?
I would like my book to sell well and support the wonderful independent publisher that is publishing it, Month9Books! Beyond that, as I wrote above, I hope that some readers might see that a little courage, a little initiative, and an important insight may be all it takes to change the world around you!
14- What is the best writing tool, program, or reference book you've ever bought?
This is the worst answer ever… but Google is clearly the writer’s best friend. It is my starting point for research, the go-to if I want to look up a word or phrase usage question, and awesome for finding inspiring pictures buildings or natural settings. It’s a pretty indispensable tool.
15- In what ways are the main characters in your book diverse? diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks
My book features an awesome female main character. She doesn’t have Captain Marvel-esque superpowers, but she does discover her own ability to change the course of history in Aevilen!
16- Who is your favorite book review blogger?
Pages for Thoughts, pagesforthoughts.blogspot.com. To be honest, I had never heard of her before she read my book, but I think it’s so cool that a high school senior would run a YA book review site. It’s rare to get the real YA perspective, and I really value that – putting my own kids aside, I wrote my book for young women like her!
17- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?
Honestly, my main motivation for writing my book was to have something to read to my kids. I only really thought seriously about publication when a family member, who has published books and works professionally as an editor, suggested that I look into it. I was very lucky that in fairy rapid succession I found an agent and the YA publisher Month9Books acquired the rights. It’s been a great journey.
18- Which author, past or present, do you feel most resembles your work?
Looking at this question a bit differently, I think my story was inspired by the 20th century fantasy masters like Tolkien and CS Lewis. I would be thrilled to achieve even just a smidgen of what those guys achieved as authors. ;)
19- Would you please ask our audience a question to answer in the comments?
How would you feel if you woke up in an abandoned mountain monastery wearing only your pajamas?
20- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?
My opening of my book is inspired by real events in my wife’s life. I myself am a biotech and software entrepreneur by day, though I love writing, too.
Say hi to me on twitter at @DC_Payson or on Instagram at @dcpayson!
The Lost Princess of Aevilen (Kingdom of Aevilen) by D.C. Payson
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