 How long have you been writing?
I actually started when I was about twelve. I’d just
finished reading one of Elaine Mitchell’s brumby series (it
wasn’t one of the Silver Brumby series-which I highly
recommend for anyone with horse-mad teenagers J),
and I didn’t like the ending. So, I rewrote it. I’m afraid
the writing bug well and truly had me after that, and I haven’t
stopped writing since.
Did it take you long to find a publisher interested in your
work?
It took me ages, simply because it’s only been recently
that publishers have woken up to the fact that there is a
market for paranormal or fantasy romance. Though, to be honest,
it’s only been in the last ten or so years that I’ve
seriously thought about getting published. My fourth completed
book was the first book I thought might have a good chance at
publication -- and it was the first book I had published.
But it took ten years, many rewrites, and a couple of rejections
before it actually made it. Even ImaJinn rejected it the first
time I submitted it to them.
Have you always written paranormal/fantasy books or have you
ventured into other genres?
I’ve mostly written paranormal and fantasy, but lately I’ve
been venturing into romantic suspense and romantica territory.
From where does your interest in the paranormal and fantasy
spring?
From a lifetime of reading fantasy and horror novels. When
you grow up reading about talking horses, graduate to talking
dragons, and then move into Stephen King and James Herbert, you’re
going to have a very weird imagination J
In some of your books the heroine is human while the hero
is a creature of myth, which leads to a conflict between love,
and fear of acceptance -- is this a
deliberate addition to your stories to heighten the ‘love’
stakes?
For the most part, yes. I like the dynamics and the problems
that are created by a heroine and hero from two different races
-- and two different times. When your hero is not only a
creature of myth, but several centuries old, there’s lots of
avenues for conflict. And having the heroine human sometimes
makes it easier for the reader to connect and sympathise with
her.
From my own study, I’ve found your knowledge of occult lore
is very accurate -- do you need to
spend much time on research?
Actually, no. I’ve read so much horror over the years, all
the lore is pretty much ingrained. Though I do research
particular areas as needed. For example, the protective circle
spell mentioned in Circle of Death is based on an actual spell
used in ritual magic. I have several books on mythical
creatures, but for magic and the like, all my research is done
via the web. It’s amazing what you can find in cyberspace.
Who are your favorite fantasy authors? What is your all-time
best fantasy read?
How much time have you got? J
Favourite fantasy authors include -- Laurell K Hamilton, Anne
McCaffrey, Mecedes Lackey, Andre Norton, Raymond E Feist, Tara K
Harper, Tom Dietz, Mary H Herbert, Melanie Rawn, Jonathan Wylie,
Jennifer Roberson, J R R Tolkien.
Favourite all time fantasy read? That’s tough-but I guess I’d
have to say McCaffrey’s Dragon series, particularly Dragon
Quest and The White Dragon. Though Wolfwalker by Tara K Harper
comes a close second.
In your latest book, Beneath a Rising Moon, I saw echoes
of the plight of Native Americans in the backstory. Was this
intentional?
Yes, it was. I love the whole Native American history, and
wanted to echo some of the things they’ve faced in the
past-like the reservation restrictions, and the fear settlers
had of them. Of course, my werewolves also have the problem of
population restrictions, something the Native Americans didn’t
face (in law, anyway)
Are you a plotter, or a seat-of-the-pants kind of writer?
Seat of the pants all the way. Half the fun of writing is the
journey of discovery you take with your characters. The only
book I’ve ever plotted is also the only book I’ve never
finished. To me, the story had already been told, and I just
couldn’t force myself to sit down and write it.
How long does each book take from first draft to final
submission?
On average, three or four months, though I have been known to
finish a book in as little as six weeks. Usually, I take two or
three months to write it, then I let it sit around for a while
and write something new, then I go back and do a complete edit.
After that, I submit. I’m not a big believer in constantly
editing-sometimes, you can edit the magic out of a story.
There are many twists and turns in the climaxes of your
books, how do you keep track of all the threads you create?
Mostly, I keep track of them all in my head, and catch any
missing threads in the editing stage. Though I do have one urban
fantasy series-with the lovely working title of Spook Squad -- that
has so many threads I currently have two five foot long strips
of paper on the wall above my desk with all the threads and
cross plots on them-just so I don’t forget who’s doing what
when I get back to writing the third in the series.
Do you find it difficult to say goodbye to your favorite
characters?
Yes, which is why I tend to write series. Most of the time, I
don’t think one book is enough time to explore the dynamics of
the characters or the relationship.
What do you have on the drawing board at present?
Well, I’m currently writing the second books of a first
person paranormal series, and the fourth book in my vampire
series. After that, I have start Beneath a Darkening Moon, the
follow-up to my werewolf book, Beneath a Rising Moon.
What kinds of goals would you still like to fulfil in your
writing career?
What I would like, more than anything, is to be able to walk
into any Australian book store, and see my book sitting there on
the shelf. That’s one of the problems of being published with
a small, independent American publisher -- no distribution outside
America. Of course, to achieve that aim, I’m going to have to
convince a major publisher to publish my work.... so, that’s
my immediate goal.
BENEATH
A RISING MOON is available from Imajinn
Books. Keri's website is at http://www.keriarthur.com
|
On
the werewolf reservation of Ripple Creek, a killer is on the
loose. Three women are dead, their bodies mutilated and faces
slashed. A fourth, Neva Grant’s twin, lies in the hospital,
fighting for her life.