Saturday, November 16, 2013

Heart-Shaped Emblor by Alaina Ewing - Author Interview

 

 
Young Adult Paranormal Romance/ Sci-Fi
Date Published: 10/11/2013

Hidden powers. Otherworldly boyfriends. FORBIDDEN SECRETS. 
For Aislinn Moore, attending college at seventeen isn’t a big deal. Not when compared to the difficulties associated with seeing ethereal beings and having prophetic dreams. 
As Aislinn learns to surmount the obstacles of her talents, she awakens something inside herself—an ancient memory, long forgotten. She senses there are reasons for her gifts, but remains unable to understand them. 
When Alexander Welch enters her life, she learns of the Ewlishash—the hope bringers—and thinks she may have found her answer. Alexander is sexy, sweet, and his talents are like something straight out of a Sci-Fi flick. Aislinn wonders if she may be like him, but the more she tries to fit his mold, the more her instincts scream that her destiny holds something even greater.




INTERVIEW:


         In a hundred words or less, how would you describe Heart-Shaped Emblor?

AE: The Heart-Shaped Emblor is about finding your voice, overcoming fear, and learning how to follow your heart. Aislinn’s world includes witches, prophetic dreams, psychics, other dimensional beings, and what ties it all together is string theory. Acts of integrity and compassion raise the characters’ vibrations, allowing them special abilities in order to help those who’ve lost hope. Most of all, this novel is about love. Not just any love, but a cosmic connection that extends beyond the here and now, and across the multiverse.



How long did it take for you to write this novel, generally? Do you normally plan a lot ahead of time or just see where your writing goes?

AE: This novel took about a year and a half to complete because it began as a YA, then I rewrote it as a New Adult, then took it back to a YA again when asked to do so by my publisher. Normally it takes about three months for me to complete a full-length manuscript. This one just had several versions. Even now the first version is like reading a completely different book.



Out of all the characters that you developed, which is your favorite? Which one that held the most difficulty?

AE: I think my favorite is actually Aislinn since I can relate to her so much. She’s lost, has no sense of who she is or what she’s capable of. Trapped in a world of lies and false relationships that are based on social status. The difficulty of writing a character like this is that she appears weak or easily swayed, and for a while, she is. When you have no sense of identity, it’s too easy to adopt what everyone else tells you and be a push over. The challenge was to find a way to show this about her, but also reveal her growth as she began to trust her own instincts over others. This first novel in the series really covers a lot of her personal growth and becoming the person she’s meant to be.




Have you always held an interest in the paranormal genre? Are there any other genres you enjoy writing about?
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AE: I really enjoy cross genre stuff. This series is technically young adult, paranormal, and sci fi, but with a tone of romance. I have even dipped into some fantasy. So yes, I do write multiple genres and I usually tie more than one into a novel.




If any one character from Heart-Shaped Emblor could come alive in person, and you could have a conversation with them, which character would you choose?

AE: Oh wow, good question. This is a tough one because if it was based on hotness factor, I would choose Alexander. But for asking questions, I think I would rather it be one of the Celestial Guardians. In the story, they represent the highest form of love and compassion, as well as, have knowledge of all the cosmos. So it would definitely be one of them.




In Heart-Shaped Emblor, Aislinn has prophetic dreams. What is thecraziest or most interesting dream that you’ve had?

AE: I once had a dream where I traveled to a rainbow planet and met thousands of different species of intelligent life, all hanging out and socializing together. It was called The Healing Planet, and everything was translucent and the water iridescent. The crazy part of this dream was that I dreamt this when I was pregnant and later, my son informed me that before he went into my tummy he traveled past a rainbow planet with his other daddy. It was an odd experience!




Have you always wanted to be a writer? If not, when did you first hold an interest in writing?

AE: I used to love writing and wrote lots of short stories when I was younger. Then I got into high school and a teacher told me never to write for a career. He was brutal, and sadly, I gave up writing. It wasn’t until later in life when I got the sudden itch to begin writing again, that I realized the teacher was a jerk and I should have used the opportunity to prove him wrong. Or at least taken his insults as a challenge and chosen to rise above them. This is why we should never give up on our dreams, no matter what people tell us.




What thoughts went through your mind when you first became a published author?

AE: My publisher is crazy. That’s about it! I was happy and appreciative, but it’s hard for me to accept sometimes that people believe in me. As more people read the novel and tell me what they think or how it impacted them, I know my publisher saw something in me that I just didn’t yet. I feel grateful every day for the opportunities given to me.




What are some songs you would include on a playlist for Heart-Shaped Emblor? Do you enjoy music or prefer silence when writing?

AE: I’m a mood person, so if I need to write an action scene, I pick something that relates to that scene. Some of the songs I’ve used are “Gravity of Love” by Enigma, “We Are Here To Change The World” by Michael Jackson, “Resistance” by Muse, “Ten Thousand Fists” by Disturbed, and for romantic types scenes I use a lot of Enya. Sometimes I prefer silence, but it really just depends on how the scene is flowing.




Who are the authors that have inspired you the most?

AE: I think a lot of authors have inspired me, but I really connect with Jean M. Auel, Tad Williams, and for YA, Stephanie Meyer. I’m one of those silly girls who totally loved the Twilight Series.




When not writing or reading, what do you enjoy doing?

AE: My need to always be creating something keeps me pretty busy. I make jewelry, dream catchers, bookmarks, and I paint, draw, love taking black and white photos, making videos, and dancing, I can’t forget that!



What projects are you currently working on?
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AE: I’m on draft two for the Ewlishash series, working on book two for a dystopian romance series I have, and a YA fantasy romance too. Plus several short stories. I like to move back and forth between projects to keep my ideas flowing.




Lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring writers or those who are considering publishing a novel of their own?

AE: Know your market. This is one people kept telling me, and because I love crossing genres, I’ve learned that the issue isn’t with people not loving to read stuff like that. The problems come in when a larger publisher is trying to fit your work into the display at the store. There aren’t sections where you can cross this stuff, so knowing what your novel fits in best is helpful in your pitch to an agent or publisher. Unless you’re self-publishing or going to be getting most sales from eBooks. Then you can have the book displayed in several areas at once.

Most importantly, don’t give up. If you need help, attend writers workshops. I am part of Cascade Writers and being a part of that group has really helped me clean up my writing and making it stronger. I also met several published authors and an agent through the group, and I’m still in contact with some of these people. Network, keep writing, and don’t give up.



Alaina Ewing lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two boys. She holds a degree in Multimedia Production and is the Assistant Chair for Cascade Writers, a nonprofit Milford-style workshop. She also makes jewelry, dream catchers, and enjoys working with herbs and essential oils. 


Her first novel, The Heart-Shaped Emblor, releases October 11, 2013 with Evil Girlfriend Media. The novel is the first in the Ewlishash Series. Read more about Alaina at www.alainayewing.com.
 
 

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