AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Feather Stone - THE GUARDIAN'S WILDCHILD

Everyone, please welcome Feather Stone, author of The Guardian's Wildchild, to the blog today.

Welcome Feather! I’m so happy to have you on the blog today.

To start off, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

In my paramedic career I experienced the dark and dangerous aspects of humanity – attending to murder victims and drug dealers.  On the other hand, I also was privileged to be involved with some amazing people, including the men and women with whom I worked in the ambulance, fire and police services.  In 2002 I was honored to receive an Exemplary Service Medal from Lieutenant Governor General, Lois Hole (representative of HRH Queen Elizabeth II), for my work in the ambulance service.

I’m passionate about the welfare of animals and have been involved in the rescue of horses, dogs and cats.  A few years ago I worked with Habitat for Humanity in El Salvador and helped build eight homes.  My work in conventional medicine expanded to include Reiki, universal life force energy therapy.  Recently, I have begun my study of Shamanism.

I consider myself a bit of an odd duckling.  Since childhood I’ve experienced the paranormal.  No, not vampires or evil witches.  While walking home from school when I was about seven, I met my spirit guide.  Now that’s a long story but I’ll spare you the details.  Years later, I was drowning in a lake and was losing consciousness lying on the sandy bottom.  My guide said, “If you stand, you can breathe.” He was right.  My guides have continued to surprise me.

On writing and reading…

What are your favorite kinds of scenes to write (humorous, action-packed, romantic, etc) and why?

Action scenes are fun.  But once the scene has past, there’s no lingering spirit.  However, scenes which involve tension between the central characters are my favorite.  I can see their interaction and hear their dialogue so clearly.  I love to delve into their motives and emotions of the moment at the deepest level.  Watch them grow or crumble.  I like to spice the interaction with a bit of humor or romantic teasing.  Make the characters come alive on the page.  That’s my greatest thrill.

What part of writing do you find most difficult?

Right now my most difficult part is finding time to write.  My second book is constantly tugging at me to finish it.  But I’m still so involved with marketing The Guardian’s Wildchild that I don’t have the focus to delve deeply into the characters of “Cursed Angel.”

In writing The Guardian’s Wildchild I had to whittle down a thousand pages into five hundred.  I had to grow as a writer in deleting beautiful scenes which didn’t add to the story, or reduce a paragraph into one sentence.  The next most difficult was describing intense emotions from a male perspective.

Where and in what type of setting do you like to write?

Anywhere.  I’m constantly writing, though not always at the keyboard.  I write pages of dialogue in my mind while cooking dinner.  Digging in my flower beds, walking my Sheltie, Jasper, or knitting – it makes no difference.  I’m a slave to my stories.  Recently, I purchased a laptop so I could work at my writing anywhere in my home.  Yes, I’m a few years behind the times.  Did I mention I’m Canadian?

What writer, book or series has been a big inspiration to you and your writing?

I’m more inclined to read non-fiction, except for easy romance novels to relax.  Same with TV programs – I generally don’t waste my time with fluff.  Life’s too short.  My objective is to be mentally stimulated, to learn and grow spiritually, expand my understanding of life and higher dimensions.

I can’t say that any one author has inspired me to write.  The stories I write don’t appear on the book store shelves.  I’ve written a few times for people and they told me how much they liked my style of writing. 

What was the last book you read that you really fell in love with or that blew your mind?

Diana Gabaldon’s books are terrific.  Books documenting survival like “Endurance” by Sir Ernest Shackelton, Dr. Beck Weathers (Into Thin Air); Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors; are inspirational.

What are you reading right now and what book(s) have you go your eye on lately but haven’t got to read yet?

Right now I’m reading the Quran.  This is part of my research for my next book.  I don’t have the luxury at the moment to read for pleasure.

Any advice for beginner writers out there?

Write what you’re passionate about, not necessarily what seems to be popular. Know your characters to the depths of their soul – even details that don’t appear in the story. Hire a very good editor and listen to his/her advice. Don’t give up with the first, or subsequent rejections of your manuscript.

On THE GUARDIAN’S WILDCHILD…

The Guardian’s Wildchild sounds so interesting and original. I have to say, I’ve never read a book set on a naval ship. Can you tell us a bit about what we can expect from The Guardian’s Wildchild?

One reviewer told me that The Guardian’s Wildchild took her to a place she’s never been before.  The story may challenge your beliefs.  The story may cause the reader wonder about the possibility of secret communities of powerful spiritual beings.  You might even wonder if we have powers that have remained dormant for eons.  The Guardian’s Wildchild is a story of a free spirited woman’s struggle to survive while having to give up what she values most.

What was the inspiration behind The Guardian’s Wildchild and the characters?

The inspiration arose from one of my paranormal experiences. The event was so powerful I decided to sit down and write about it.  Images of remarkable people and their challenges inspired me to continue writing and the story began to take shape.  I continued on writing for five years.

If you could meet one of your characters in person, which one would it be?

That’s a tough one.  I loved them all, even the evil ones in a sort of motherly way.  Sidney’s brother, Danik Davenport, will always have a special place in my heart.  He’s just plain lovable, funny, and intensely loyal to his Guardian people.  His down to earth sense of humor gave some relief to the intense dark personalities of the evil characters, and helped create a sense of human-ness of his fellow Guardians.

Which character was the most challenging to write?

Sidney was the greatest challenge.  She had a complex personality being free spirited and yet devoted to her Guardian people’s high standards of conduct.  She went through growth, maturing throughout the story – rather quickly as the storyline was less than two weeks.  She was conflicted in much of the scenes fighting to maintain her “life without rules” philosophy, and yet cope with the need to be protected by the captain’s rulebook – and yet frustrated with his attachment to rules.  In each scene I had to adapt her character slightly, moving forward to becoming less ‘wild’.

I love the cover! Did you have any say it at all? Are you happy with it?

This cover is beautiful.  The talented Omnific Publishing staff worked wonders, giving the female subject on the cover an air of mystical qualities.  And, the male on the back is lined up perfectly so that when the two are looking at each other, well – you get a feeling of their connection.

What can we expect from you writing-wise in the future?

Great things are in store.  I’m very excited about my current writing project, tentatively called “Cursed Angel.”  It is another complex story that is requiring a lot of research.  The setting is Persia which is why I’m reading the Quran.  I’m learning a lot about the Islamic culture and finding it’s quite different from the media hype.  I’ve met a few Muslims during the course of my research.  They are very fun loving and peaceful people.

The basic plot of the story involves a woman who while travelling in Persia discovers something she was not supposed to and requires the protection of the captain in the local police service.  Of course, there are challenges due to the differences in their faith and their lives become entangled in dark forces.  And, as with my first book, the paranormal complicates their lives.

If you could be asked any question, what would that be? What would your answer be?

This has been a tough question.  The only question I can think of is, “What is it like to be an author?”  My answer is that it’s the hardest job I’ve ever taken on.  Even working as a paramedic wasn’t as difficult.  We always worked in pairs or groups.  Working as an author, I find that I’m isolated a lot of the time.  I’ve spent the better part of the day staring at the computer monitor, reading, editing, deleting, searching for just the right word or phrase.  If I was paid for the hours of research and typing, no one could afford to buy the book.

Since The Guardian’s Wildchild was published by Omnific Publishing I was welcomed by a large group of other Omnific authors.  I’ve enjoyed their camaraderie and guidance into the world of online book marketing.  It was quite unexpected.  I’m very grateful to Omnific Publishing’s staff and authors.  Through these wonderful people I’m able to connect with readers for whom I wrote The Guardian’s Wildchild.

That was some great information Feather! Thanks so much for stopping by!

I hope you all enjoyed my little chat with Feather. Please join us on March 5th for a Kick-off party for The Guardian Wildchild. I'm really excited to read this one, because it sounds so interesting. So stay tuned for a forthcoming review. You can click HERE for more details about the kick-off party, including all the awesome prizes up for grabs.

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