Interview with Author Ashley B. Frerking

 

1. What inspired you to write this book? Some of my ideas and inspiration came from reading Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle. A couple of my characters are loosely based on several of his. growing up, I would imagine myself in Alagaesia interacting with Eragon and Murtagh, which is my inspiration for the main character Tura. Most of my writing are the types of books that I would enjoy reading. 

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? Tura Saurbrook embarks on a quest for revenge and happens upon two elves on their way to join the army faithful to the true king. Tura struggles to keep her true identity hidden. Unbeknownst to her, the two elves hold an explosive secret themselves. I wrote this story for young adults and especially young women who need strong role models. 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I hope first and foremost that reading this book is a form of escape for them. A magical land that they are whisked away to as a kind of breather from the real world. I hope my readers are transported and inspired.  

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? I wanted a simple title that would still grab the audience's attention. I originally had the main character's name in the title, but realized that this can be kind of a turn-off if a reader isn't familiar with the world I've created. I wanted a title that would stick in the mind. My main character is traveling for most of the book, ergo, The Traveler. There are castles and fortresses found in the land of Amaranaca where The Traveler is set, so I wanted a medieval castle on the cover to already be a form of transportation to the reader. I didn't want any depictions of my characters on a cover because I want readers to determine for themselves what a character looks like. I feel that images of characters would box in a reader's imagination.  

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? - Keep at it! Dreams don't usually come true overnight, they take years of hard work, but don't give up! - Write, write, write and read, read, read! Reading makes you a better writer just as writing makes you a better writer. You must practice. - Even when you aren't feeling inspired or feeling like write, you must fight through those feelings.  

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? I get overwhelmed by how many scams are out there. Fake companies will hound you claiming they are the best and they can make your dreams come true. I wish I could warn young writers to be on their guard. I learned this the hard way. I am happy to say that even with the access of books on Kindle and tablets, etc., people are still reading! And a lot of times physical books! I will always prefer physical books over digital. There is just something so special about cracking open a physical book. The smell, the turn of the pages...magic!  

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? I grew up overseas in Kenya and was privileged to see beautiful landscapes. I draw from these landscapes in creating the geography and topography of Amaranaca. I hinted at it earlier, but I think also the books I read come in handy when writing. The Inheritance Cycle, The Lord of the Rings, and The Chronicles of Narnia have all had their influence on my writing.  

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? Similar to my previous answer, I draw a lot from J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Christopher Paolini. I'm not sure that my style is actually similar to theirs, but I feel that my world is similar. My fantasy books aren't high fantasy like Tolkien, but probably more on the level of Lewis since The Chronicles of Narnia are geared towards children. However, I know I will never come close to these great masters!  

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? Finding the time! It is so hard to prioritize writing when I have so many other things demanding my attention. I am a mother of three and that in itself is a full-time job! I also am an online adjunct professor, so finding the time to write is a miracle!  

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? The Traveler is an easy read that will immediately transport you to the world of Amaranaca. It is an entertaining book with wholesome characters that will inspire and amuse. Readers will certainly get their money's worth because this is a fun read. It's not a hard story to get into because you are caught up easily into Tura's adventures. With a couple of twists and surprises, readers will be left wondering what will happen next?

About The Author: Ashley B. Frerking grew up overseas in Nairobi, Kenya where her parents were missionaries for over a decade. After graduating high school, she moved back to the United States for university. Frerking has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Dallas Baptist University and a Master's in Scriptwriting from Regent University. For more info, please see: ashley.frerking.net

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.8 million pageviews. With 4,900+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.