Cole Poindexter answers #13Questions in OA's Debut Author Spotlight

13 Questions shine Operation Awesome's Spotlight
on this
2022 Debut Author

Inherit by Cole Poindexter

1- If you had a real lightsaber, what color do you believe the Kyber crystals would turn it and why?

I hope mine would be blue! I feel like it symbolizes you are a kind person, so I hope that would hold true for me.

20 questions later... (I still don't know what "What should be the punishment for a soldier who soiled your plants to your nemesis by mistake?" means. And I thought a Jedi couldn't get married.) I have a blue lightsaber too!

"The Most Accurate Lightsaber Color Quiz Optimized for 2021"

2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Don't be afraid to strike out on your own and self-publish, at least initially. It gives you a ton of creative direction.

3- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader?

I hope that it sends a message about family. Your family members are absolutely what you make of them. We also get to choose who we are every day, through our actions, and I hope people think about that. You can be a timid person but also stand up for what's right and stand up for yourself. It's a choice we have to make every day.

4- As a nurse, what tips would you give to someone trying to stay healthy this spring?

There's lots of health information out there, but I feel like we don't talk about stress enough. When you're stressed out, you do things you normally wouldn't - like binge eat junk food. You might be irritable and tired. So my advice is to control your stress as much as you can, and you can start doing that by choosing yourself first every day. Don't commit to things you don't want to do! Take more time out for you. Take naps or watch TV at home if that's what you enjoy. Your body will love you for it.

5- Would you share a picture with us of your book with a dog?



6- How do you support your fellow debut authors and have any of them supported you?

I can't think of any new authors who have supported me, but I can think of several veteran authors. Twitter is a great way to connect with them. Lots of people have retweeted things for me and vice versa. Social media can be great if used for the right reasons.

7- Time to double-down on social media! What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?
Also, can you please recommend a favorite #bookstagram account profile?

Two amazing author friends I'd like to shout-out are Mark Gardner and Jessica Piro. Mark did the artwork and formatting for my book. He also has a long list of novels he's written. Jessica actually went to my high school and we grew up in the same town, so I've known her my whole life. She has the Phoenix Trilogy as well as the Elementals series.
I follow a great bookstagram account, her name is @thewellreadchiro


8- What is your favorite creative non-writing activity to do?

I love to listen to music. I feel like it opens up the creative channels in your brain and opens up that muse. If I'm really stuck on something, I'll take a break and listen to music and come back to it later.

9- In what ways are the main characters in your book diverse? diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks

I try to keep diversity in mind when I'm creating characters. I have a character who comes out in my first book, and he plays an important role in Parker's life going forward. I also have multiple characters who are people of color. I feel like real life is full of diverse people, and I'll always try to reflect that in my books.

10- What's the biggest writing goal you hope to accomplish in your lifetime? #WriteGoal #BucketList #WriterBucketList

The biggest writing goal I have is to find a publisher! I feel like that's a small goal that could lead to bigger goals. It'd be really cool to one day work on a Star Wars project, but I realize that's quite a lofty goal. For now, I'm keeping it small. I'd like to first find a small publishing company to work with.

11- What was the query process like for you?

I queried five publishers. Looking back now, I had no idea what I was doing. After a while, it was getting really disappointing, and I was losing faith in my book. I feel like a lot of agents are looking for the same thing, and my book just didn't have any of what they wanted - it was too different. But I believed in myself, and I believe I can find my audience one day. So I decided to self-publish. The response to the book has been overwhelming positive, much more than I could have anticipated. Every book is a new opportunity, so I'm excited to keep moving.

12- Would you please ask our audience an intriguing question to answer in the comments?

Do you feel like art is a necessary component for life?

13- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?

Struggling artist Parker Derrick faces the death of her mother - and the emergence of villainous family members when she's named the sole heir to her aunt's North Arkansas estate. Surrounded by new friends and enemies, Parker must decipher who is really on her side...to help uncover a deadly secret.
Website: https://www.colepoindexter.info/
@ColePoindexter1


Inherit by Cole Poindexter

Meet Will Damron in this Debut Author Spotlight

The Tercentennial Baron (The Bellirolt Chronicles Book 1)

1- What five words represent your most notable characteristic or values? #In5Words

#In5Words Honor yourself and honor others.

2- Will you continue doing audiobook narration?

Absolutely I will continue doing audiobook narration! That has allowed me the resources to publish my book the way I wanted. I plan to narrate for at least the near future.

3- Did you learn something new about audiobook narration from your new writer point of view? Or have you approached writing differently thanks to your narration skill?

I think I’ve always been best as a narrator when I perform the book as if I wrote it. That sort of ownership is essential when you take on the telling of any story. In terms of writing, I’ve gained a much deeper appreciation for how a book SOUNDS when read aloud. Rhythm, pacing - that all clicks into place. If the book can’t be read aloud easily and fluidly, you need to edit more.

4- Can you share a story from your life that shows who you are as a person and why you are a writer?

A brief tale: I was obsessed with Star Wars as a kid; that was my first introduction to another UNIVERSE that someone else had created. So the first story I ever wrote was a total take-off on Star Wars. I think I even called it “Space Battles.” (I was in 3rd grade; give me a break.) It was literally a Luke vs Darth Vader story with different names, but somehow I knew I wasn’t just doing it for fun. I was starting to explore taking a world I loved and making it my own. I never finished that story, nor any other, until The Tercentennial Baron.

5- What ignited your passion for writing?

Reading other stories I loved AND watching movies. Probably movies even more! Just look at my previous answer. I knew as a young kid I wanted to create other worlds that people would want to be a part of.

6- What made you want to write a historical fantasy?

I love history, and I love fantasy. It really was that simple. I haven’t even read much historical fantasy, but to me history is a kind of fantasy in itself, because it concerns other worlds that have now fallen away - where lives were totally different - and yet parts of them still remain with us today. That, to me, is kind of magical, and the perfect set-up for a mystery.

7- Would you share a picture with us of a view of Scotland?

Glen Coe - one of my favorite parts of Scotland, with some of the most dramatic scenery. My fiancee and I hiked through there and fell in love with it.

8- What are some of your short and long term writing goals?

Short term, I want to reach the point where I can make a living solely on my writing. By which I mean, my own original stories - not writing on assignment. Long term, I want to expand my repertoire of written work to many different series, not just the Bellirolt Chronicles. I want to create a variety of different worlds that fans can explore, so many different kinds of readers can enjoy my work.

9- Who is currently your biggest fan? What does that person love most (or "ship") about your debut novel?

Oh boy… I’m sure it’s a toss-up between my mother, my sisters, and my fiancee. How do you measure such a thing? They each appreciate different things about my work. But I think one thing they can all agree on is they feel very connected to the journeys of the characters in the book. And they can’t wait to read more about them.

10- Have you ever used a sword, perhaps while acting?

I have, indeed. I was trained in 18th-century swordplay while acting at Colonial Williamsburg, and one of my best friends and I did a sword fighting scene there that ran for well over a year. We used the 18-century smallsword, which also makes a brief appearance in my book…

11- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader, and is there a particular scene you hope will resonate with readers?

There are many scenes I hope will resonate, but I don’t want to give any of them away! As for emotions, I hope readers feel fear for the danger the main characters find themselves in, curiosity to discover the truth, and the chilling sense of awe that comes as that truth is revealed.

12- What most helped you to improve your writing craft?

Learning to pursue revealing the story, not creating the story. I can create lots of things, but only one in a hundred of them will really serve the story and the characters. Once I learned to view the story as something to be discovered, all the pieces of it finally fell into place.

13- What is the most memorable trait or visual oddity of one of your characters?

I would say the Baron’s green eyes. It’s never explained why his eyes have a tendency to glow a vibrant jade green, but they are what has marked him throughout history. And of course, eyes are the windows to the soul, and the Baron has quite a tortured soul.

14- #DiversityBingo2017 What's your favorite book that covers a square on the card?

I am forever a fan of Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon”, as it had a tremendous effect on me when I read it in high school. And that certainly fits with Author of Color, Biracial, Black, and Person of Color on the Cover.


15- Which character has your favorite Personality Contradiction?

I can think of many personality contradictions in the Baron’s character, but I think my favorite is in the character of Granny McGugan. She protects the young hero, Percival (her grandson), by being exceptionally manipulative and tyrannical toward him. It’s all based on her deep desire to shield him from harm, but it manifests itself as outright cruelty sometimes.

16- Can you think of any small change in the world you could make to benefit hundreds of other authors or readers potentially?

Honestly, I don’t think I know enough about the business to answer that yet. At the moment, the change I’m focused on making is introducing my book to the world, and I think that every enjoyable story encourages more people to read, to talk about it, and even to add their own contributions. And the more people are contributing, the more involved and connected we all feel.

17- As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?

I am most motivated by the description on the back cover, and if a trusted friend or two shares their passion about the book beforehand. If a friend can sell me on it (and I’m pretty skeptical by nature), I will probably check it out.

18- How will you measure your publishing performance?

Number of books sold, and the responsiveness of fans to the books (as in, they share it with others, they say they want to see more, etc.).

19- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?

I had been thinking about self-publishing for a while, as I was submitting the book to agents and editors. When I finally hit my 75th rejection, I decided to stop giving the traditional publishing world a chance, and take on the project as my own business. I was very attracted to the amount of control I could have over the final product compared to what I would be afforded as a debut author with an established publisher.

20- What is one question (or discussion topic) which you would like the readers of this interview to answer or remark on in the comments?

How do you most often discover new books that you HAVEN’T heard about from friends? Examples could be ads (online, in magazines, on billboards…), reviews by a particular blogger, reviews in a particular magazine, recommendations by your favorite authors, etc.

21- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?

I would love to share this one review that AudiobookDJ posted a few weeks ago - it was actually the first review the book received! Based on the overwhelming positive response the print version has received on Amazon, I don’t think this experience is unique to people listening to the audiobook, though you should certainly check that out if you like audio!

Here is the review: http://audiobookdj.squarespace.com/home/2017/10/15/the-tercentennial-baron.html

As for more about me, I am an audiobook narrator with over 200 titles recorded in the last few years, in genres ranging from fantasy to sci-fi, YA, literary, nonfiction, and thrillers. I have won an Audie Award (one of the highest honors in the audiobook business), two Voice Arts Awards, and numerous Earphones Awards. “The Tercentennial Baron” is my debut as an independent author, and it’s a story I’ve worked on since before I became a narrator. If you enjoy fantasy, the supernatural, Scotland and Scottish history, sweeping epics full of mystery, or even just spooky ghost stories, I really believe you’ll love this book.

You can find me on social media on Twitter @jwdamron, Instagram @jwdamron, and Facebook @Damron.Stories. Feel free to check out my website as well - http://www.willdamron.com - though it’s undergoing renovations right now and a brand new one will be going live within a few weeks!


The Tercentennial Baron (The Bellirolt Chronicles Book 1)

Plinkett Test

I'm about to do something unfair.

Under no circumstances click on the following link unless you have two hours to kill and want to see an amazing takedown and analysis of the Star Wars prequels, during which you will alternately wince in horror and laugh uproariously depending on your own personal damage.

Here's the link.

The Plinkett reviews (of which there are more—that's the second unfair thing I'll do today, tell you there are more of these) are one of my favorite guides to how movies, and stories in general, can go wrong.  This also makes them a good resource for figuring out how to make stories go right.

About twenty minutes in, the reviewer analyzes characterization problems in Star Wars: Episode I compared to the original trilogy.  He gives some friends a simple test—describe a given character from the original trilogy without using their name, physical description, or job.  Then do the same for a character in the prequel trilogy.  Han Solo, Obi Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, all prompt excited responses, and dead-on descriptions.  When we get to the prequel trilogy, the interviewees umm and aaah all over the place.

When I first watched the Plinkett Review a couple years ago (yes, dear reader, I've watched these multiple times, and no, I'm not sure what that says about myself), that test stuck with me.  Afterward, editing, I posed the question to myself: could I describe my characters without reference to their job, name, or appearance?  We remember characters who pass—Han Solo, Ellen Ripley, Marian Ravenwood, Indiana Jones, Sherlock Holmes, Phillip Marlowe, Aerin Firehair, heck, even Humbert Humbert—while those who fail slip away into memory.

(Failing isn't necessarily a bad thing if your main character isn't the point of your story.  The narrator of Kafka's Penal Colony doesn't pass this test.  The Officer, though, does…)

Whatever you think of the Plinkett reviews as a whole, I think this test is useful for structural and character edits.  What about you?  How do you test your characters?  What happens when one doesn't hold up?

Darth Vader... saves kittens?

I subscribe to Storyfix.com and today Larry Brooks has a guest post up by Art Holcomb that you really ought to read, you know, if your story has like a bad guy or something. 

It's called The Hopes and Dreams of Truly Awful People.

In it, Art points out that your villain's motive must be clear, and must be more specific than merely good and evil (unless that's the main theme of your work). But something he said almost in passing just made me giggle.

He said, "If appropriate, repay him and delight your reader by writing for the bad guy a humanizing “Darth Vader Rescues the Kittens” scene at least once in a story."

This is brilliant. It made me think of all the stories I've read, or watched or listened to, that have done just this: humanized the villain to get me even more emotionally invested. It makes it all the more heartbreaking when the conflict between the hero and antagonist crushes the sometimes-good villain. Let's see an example.

Here's my version of Darth Vader Rescues the Kittens:

HeeeeeeHooooooHeeeeeHoooooHeeeeeHooooo.

The sound of his mechanical breathing never bothered him before, but this evening in the dark alley behind the Burger Emperor, it sounded more hollow than ever. 

He'd just killed his mentor, his savior from the stupid little dust planet he'd been brought up on. Somehow over the years, that savior had become his nemesis. It might have had something to do with Vader's massacre of all the baby Padawans. Really, who keeps track of these things? 

None of that mattered now. Obi-Wan was gone. 

Slumping to the garbage-stained asphalt, Vader tortured himself, reliving his old master's last moments over and over again. If Obi-Wan hadn't been so damned self-righteous, he could have gotten by with a severed arm or leg, easily repaired. But no. He always had to fight to the death. It was his fault he was dead. Vader slurped the last of his Jabba Hutt shake through a drinking hole in his helmet. 

Next he'd probably have to kill his long-lost son. His breath caught at the thought, and that one moment of pure silence allowed him to hear something he never would have heard in the cacophony of his normal existence. 

A tiny cry. 

He jerked his heavy headgear to the side so his eyes could behold the source of the whimperish sound. It came from the garbage unit. Prying off the lid, Vader searched the dark recesses of the bin. At last he found the crying creature. Creatures. There were five impa-kittens curled up in a box, naked of their fur, huddling together for warmth. Only one of them still had the strength to cry out, its tense little neck jutting up from the rest to make its voice heard.

Something inside him melted as the death-defiant creature pressed its cheek against his black-gloved finger.  "I'll call you Anakin," Vader purred. 

All at once, a terrifying noise disrupted the moment. It was the beeping of the garbage unit, the only warning before the walls would slowly, methodically crush everything within their filthy realm. Vader had mere minutes to act, but he only needed a millisecond. 

Lightning fast, Vader held the walls back with the sheer force of his will... er, the force. The dark side of the force. (It's super powerful.) He scooped up the box of impa-kittens and, holding them close to his cold, hard chest-plate, he blew up the offending garbage unit, again with the sheer force of... the force. 

It was done. He had ended a life today. But he had saved five. The balance was more than restored. As the sun rose beyond the vaulted walls of the alley and the last embers of the garbage unit faded to black, little Anakin purred. For Vader, it was a new beginning.

A bit about the screenwriter who wrote the article...

ART HOLCOMB began his writing career in the sixth grade (at age 13) when one of his plays was professionally performed by the American Conservatory Theater. 

He has published poetry, essays and short stories and has written more than 50 comic book stories for franchises such as THE X-MEN, as well as original and licensed properties for Defiant, Valiant, Acclaim, Big Entertainment, FUNimation, Marvel Comics, DC Comics. His screen work has appeared on UPN, the Sci-Fi Channel and the SHOWTIME Channel. 

He is the co-founder and former Editor-in-Chief of the creative development firm ANDROMEDA ENTERTAINMENT, which adapts screenplays into graphic novels, creating one of the earliest sources of “illustrated screenplays”.

Read more about him here.